Lineage of Dragons
by SoBadAtBeingGood
Summary: Zukaang AU. There is no such thing as the Avatar. Aang is the last airbender in existence. Zuko is a conflicted prince who just wants what's best for his nation. When the sons of fire and air meet under horrific circumstances, their lives will change forever. Dark fic/themes. Lemons and limes eventually.
1. Chapter 1

**So, this is my first fanfiction... I've written stories before but this is new for me. Especially the slash. This is my first slash ever, so any comments/recommendations you have, please let me know.**

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**Zuko is 19, Aang is 15**

**Enjoy Chapter 1!**

* * *

Zuko tapped his fingers impatiently on his knee, silently cursing his father. So the Firelord wanted his children out of the palace for the day so he could meet with the war generals. Fine. But had it really been necessary to force him to accompany his sister to a circus of freaks?

As much as Azula hated being forced out of the palace as well, hearing about a circus of freaks performing at the edge of the city had cheered her up instantly. Well... not that Azula was_ cheery_, but she always liked the prospect of laughing at and tormenting others. Zuko's seen her do it plenty of times at Ty Lee's performances. The fact that this was literally a freak show would only make it more entertaining for her.

Zuko let out a frustrated sigh and laid back in the palanquin. He was not looking forward to this. Not just because he was going to have to spend the day with his sister (and that was bad enough), but because he hated freak shows. He hated the idea of them. The concept of showcasing poor, deformed beings as something less than human for the entertainment of others made his stomach churn.

He's only ever been to one in his entire life, back when his family was still in one piece. He remembered watching the benders with strange abilities perform, the people with strange deformities being marched out to do their own little performances. It was interesting to watch, but Zuko couldn't get over the fact that they all looked so _miserable_. His sister and father were commenting and laughing at them, as though they were telling hilarious jokes. He didn't understand what was so funny, but he laughed along with them, seeking the approval of his father.

But when he turned to his mother, his stopped laughing. She sat in silence, her expression a mixture of pity and sympathy. When she looked at him, she looked sad, but didn't say anything. Zuko looked back and forth between his mother and the performers and fell into a state of shame. As much as he wanted his father's approval, he knew it was wrong, dishonorable even, to take mirth from others' suffering.

Now, however, he lived in different circumstances. His mother having disappeared years ago, he no longer had her support against his father's judgement and wrath. And after disrespecting his father in his own war room (for which he paid for with half his face), his father's confidence in him was hanging by a thread. At this point in the game, if Ozai thought he had done _anything _that could be construed as dishonorable or shameful, Zuko would not only lose his right to the throne, he was sure to be banished.

This meant that he had to play the part as the ruthless prince of the Fire Nation, especially around his sister. He couldn't give Azula any ammunition to use to steal the throne.

The palanquin stopped and was lowered to the ground. Zuko pushed one of the curtains aside to see that they were at the edge of the city. Bracing himself for a miserable afternoon, he took in a deep breath and stepped out.

"Oh, this should be absolutely _marvelous._" Zuko turned to see his sister walking towards him from her own palanquin. When she saw his somber face, she frowned in annoyance. "Oh, lighten up, Zuzu. So Dad wanted us out of the palace today. _You'll live_."

"Don't call me that," Zuko growled.

Azula ignored him. "Besides, this gives us the chance to watch some_ real_entertainment!" She indicated the giant red and yellow tent. "And if it's not to your liking, I'm sure we can find some ways to spice things up."

Zuko gave a half-smile, the best he could muster under the circumstances. "I'm sure," he said dryly.

"Your highnesses!" The ringmaster walked up and bowed to them. "I heard rumours that you would attend. You honor me with your presence."

"Yes, yes, we know," Azula said tiredly. "I just hope your circus meets our expectations."

"Of course, my princess. And if there is anything I can do to make your time more enjoyable, just ask."

Zuko internally rolled his eyes._ Oh, she will._

* * *

They sat by themselves on an elevated platform. Azula was leaning forward, watching the performances with a calculating stare. Zuko could tell that she was trying to come up with creative ways to 'spice up' the performances. While he laughed along with his sister and offered (less nefarious) twists of his own, he was becoming increasingly nauseous as the show went on. The fact that the ringleader seemed to take just as much enjoyment as Azula from the sadistic twists made him feel even worse.

"And now...!" the ringleader announced, "... for our final act! We have for you, a genuine, one-of-a-kind artifact! Discovered frozen in a block of ice in the south seas, this boy managed to escape the wrath of the Fire Nation for a hundred years!"

Zuko frowned in confusion. _What is the guy on about? _He turned to Azula to see a small frown mar her face as well.

"I present to you... the _last airbender_!"

Zuko's jaw dropped. _What? _For a moment, he wasn't sure he heard right. But when he saw his shocked expression reflected on his sister's face, he knew he had.

A curtain lifted to reveal a smallish boy. He had blue arrows on his head, hands, and feet; trademark tattoos for those who had mastered airbending. Every inch of bare skin on his face and head was covered in brown tribal markings. He was dressed in overly flamboyant, airbender-styled robes. He stood with one foot on a large ball, his arms spread in presentation.

He looked exotic and ridiculous at the same time.

"He can't be an _actual _airbender," Zuko said, turning to Azula. "Firelord Sozin wiped them all out at the beginning of the war..."

He was immediately proven wrong as the boy jumped twenty feet into the air, spirals of wind hitting the whole audience and making the tent momentarily billow outward.

Azula's look of shock turned to one of excited hunger. "Looks like he missed one..." she breathed.

Zuko watched in fascination as the boy easily leapt through rings of fire, landing with a swirl of air on every platform. Sweeping out his arms and legs, slices of air cut through balloons, releasing red confetti over the audience. As he flew through his routine, he sent out gusts of air to make the confetti dance around the tent in various patterns. Everyone in the audience was captivated. Azula didn't even interrupt to add her own flare.

Finally, he jumped down to the ground, creating a ball of air and landing on it with a single finger.

The audience exploded in applause. For a moment, Zuko was applauding as well, but as the ball of air dissipated and the boy was back on his feet, the airbender's shoulders slumped and he bowed his head down. Zuko stopped clapping as the boy started to wring his hands together. Upon closer inspection, Zuko also noticed a slight tremor in the boy's body.

He seemed... almost terrified.

Azula muttered something, breaking Zuko out of his reverie. "What?" he asked.

She had a predatory gleam in her eyes as she leered at the airbender boy. "I said, I want him." She turned to her brother with a smile. "I'm in need of a pet."

Zuko's stomach clenched as Azula returned her attention to the boy. He wanted to protest, knowing that even his worst enemies wouldn't deserve to be thrown into Azula's den. But he couldn't think of a single outcome from such an act that wouldn't end badly for him. He returned his own gaze back to the boy, feeling as helpless as the boy looked. _I'm so sorry..._

* * *

The ringleader was obviously upset to hear about Azula's wishes. Zuko wasn't surprised, certain that the airbender brought in a lot of money to his circus. However, Zuko knew that there was absolutely no way to successfully deny Azula anything. The ringleader seemed to also know this, as he wisely said that it was his pleasure to give the princess anything she wanted and led them to where the airbender was kept.

Zuko was struggling to keep his expression neutral as they walked through the 'backstage' of the show. Most of the members of the show seemed to live in squalor. Many were chained and being escorted by stagehands. The stagehands in general, who seemed to be either earth or waterbenders, didn't seem to have any qualms about mistreating the 'freaks' as they stuffed them into their cages. Many gave the freaks a swift blow as they stuffed them into too-small cages. The ringleader didn't even seem to notice. Or just didn't care.

"Here he is," the ringleader said. "It looks like my assistants are cleaning him up, now."

The airbender's feet and hands were chained to the ground as a waterbender hosed him down to get the tribal markings off. His flamboyant outfit was gone, leaving him in a thin pair of old pants. Zuko involuntarily winced as he heard the airbender whimpering under the harsh deluge. It wasn't until the waterbender stopped that Zuko also noticed the metal gag wrapped around the boy's head.

"The gag is precautionary," the ringleader preemptively explained. "Like firebenders, airbenders can bend with their breath. When we first found him a few years ago, he was a troublemaker, constantly trying to run away and making a general mess of things. Even though I've long since broken him, I don't like to take chances."

Zuko felt like vomiting at the ringleader's words. He expected his father and sister to treat other humans like objects, but to see people outside his twisted family do the same made him literally sick to his stomach.

The airbender's fearful eyes followed Azula as she slowly walked around the trembling boy with an appraising eye. She gave him an almost coy smile before kneeling next to him. The boy's breathing hitched as Azula tightly gripped his chin, turning his head so that wide, grey eyes met cold, golden ones. "I'm going to be your new master," Azula said with authority. "If you're good, I'll make sure you have a content life in the palace. If you're not..." She pointed a finger towards him, a blue flame flickering at the tip. The boy's breathing quickened as his eyes fixated on the blue flame. Azula let her threat hang in the air for a few moments, slowly waving the small flame in front of his eyes.

It wasn't until the boy let out a small whimper that she smiled and extinguished the flame. "I think we have an understanding." She turned to the ringleader. "Deliver him to the palace. I'll inform the guards to let you in. They'll tell you where to put him."

"Very well, your highness," he responded with a bow.

As they started to walk back to their palanquins, Zuko spared one last glance at the airbender boy. His heart ached as he imagined the new hell this boy was about to enter. He silently cursed the spirits for allowing the world to torment an innocent like this.

If he was anybody else, he would stop this right then and there. But he was the prince of the Fire Nation. Beholden to his duties to his country and desperate for his father's approval. He couldn't forsake the nation, allow himself to be banished, for the sake of a single insignificant boy. He cursed his circumstances.

"I can't wait to tell father," Azula said. "I imagine he'll want a piece of the fun as well."

Zuko almost misstepped. "What?"

Azula stopped walking and sighed, as if put out. "_Fine... _if you want to join in the fun, I suppose I can let you play with the airbender, too." She turned to him with a knowing smile. "You could use the stress relief. I swear, you never relax."

"Right," Zuko managed to say around the lump in his throat. "Should be fun..."

As his palanquin was lifted and carried back to the palace, Zuko tried to think of a way to mentally survive his sister's unintentional new torment.

* * *

**Four days later**

Zuko was in a neutral stance in the middle of the practice arena, eyes closed, breathing deeply. The power of fire comes from the breath, so Zuko always made sure that his breathing was in complete control before practicing his firebending. He was fully aware of his... anger issues and knew that if he didn't have his breathing completely under control before doing advanced sets, his firebending was weak, at best. Out of control, at worst.

"I think you're supposed to _practice _in the practice arena, Zuzu."

Zuko's eyes snapped open. He spun around and growled, "Stop _calling _me that!"

Azula was leaning against the entrance, a cocky smile plastered on her face. "Oh, so _angry_, Zuko. You really need to get that under control."

He rolled his eyes at the irony. Recognizing when his sister was baiting him, he grit his teeth together and marched out of the arena. He grabbed the spare towel he brought with him and headed back to his room. So much for blowing off some steam.

It's been four days since they went to the circus of freaks. Four days since his sister got her new 'pet'. Four days since he's seen the airbender. Azula had told their father about the airbender, but beyond a vague fascination as to how the airbender managed to survive so long, Ozai didn't seem to have any opinion on the matter. The airbender would neither help nor impede the war, so what did he care?

Zuko had avoided the stables, Azula's room, and everything in between like the plague. He knew that the airbender was being kept under lock and key in the stables and knew that Azula had had several 'play' sessions with him already. Zuko wanted to keep the chances of contact with the boy to a bare minimum. He didn't want to have those grey eyes haunting him any more than they already were.

So he spent most of his spare time in the practice arena, going through the routines his uncle used to put him through. He's tried doing some of his father's techniques as well, but he could never seem to get through them without something blowing up in his face; literally _and _figuratively.

He stormed into his room and threw his towel to the side. He undid his top knot, letting his hair fall to his shoulders. His hair was still relatively short compared to most Fire Nation citizens, but that was because his hair was still growing out from when the medics shaved his head in order to properly treat his burn.

Zuko allowed himself to fall onto his bed with a sigh. Closing his eyes, he rolled onto his side, wrapping a pillow around his head.

As much as he tried to not think about the airbender, he just couldn't seem to keep the boy out of his thoughts. His imagination constantly tortured him with possible images of what Azula was doing to 'have fun' with the boy. These self-created images mixed with the memory of the airbender chained to the ground, whimpering under the harsh treatment of his keepers, making them a little_ too _real.

Zuko groaned. This wasn't fair. _He_ wasn't tormenting the boy,_ he _hadn't kidnapped or mistreated him... why did he have to feel so wretched about the whole affair?

_Because you __**can**__ do something about it. Or, at the very least, make sure the boy has contact with someone other than Azula and cold stagehands. Maybe you would be able to give the boy some hope. But instead, you sit in the palace, doing absolutely nothing to alleviate the boy's suffering._

Zuko hit the side of his head in frustration. Why did his conscience have to sound so much like his mother? _Sometimes I wish I could be as cold and calculating as Azula. My life would be so much easier..._

"Have you been getting enough sleep?" Azula's voice taunted from the entrance of his room. "You don't look so good..."

Zuko sat up with a growl. "Get out of my room, Azula."

The princess rolled her eyes. "Look, I just wanted to see if you wanted to celebrate the good news..." She started to walk away.

Zuko frowned. He knew she was leading him on. He wasn't allowed to go to war meetings anymore, and Azula liked to shove this in his face whenever she could. Regardless, he decided to take the bait. "What news?"

Azula paused in her steps and turned with a smile. "What? You haven't heard?"

Zuko jumped off his bed. "Cut the crap, Azula. What are you talking about?"

His sister turned to fully face him, her smile turning into one of almost twisted glee. "The war generals have informed our father that they have found the White Lotus headquarters. They plan on taking it by the end of the week."

Zuko's eyes widened, but quickly went back to his neutral expression. "Is that so..."

A couple years ago... in fact, not long after Zuko's fateful Agni Kai with his father... his uncle, General Iroh, had disappeared. No one knew why. There had been rumours that his uncle had gathered members of the White Lotus in order to try and fight against the Fire Nation, but none of these had ever been confirmed.

To this day, Zuko was the only person in the entire Fire Nation to know for certain that these rumours were true. But Azula and their father had always been good guessers.

"C'mon, brother..." Azula teased. "We should celebrate!" She wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Zuko had to force himself to not shrug her off. "The White Lotus is the only serious threat to the success of this war. If the war generals don't mess this up, this single threat could be gone for _good_. And the war could be over by the end of summer."

Zuko forced himself to smile. "It'd be nice to finally see an end to the fighting..."

Seeing her brother's reluctance, she feigned disappointment. "If you don't want to celebrate with me, that's fine. I can go see what Mai is doing... make it a girls' night out..."

Zuko gave her a look of surprise. "You're... you're going out?"

Azula huffed. "Well, if you're not going to celebrate with me, then I obviously need to find someone else."

For a moment, Zuko just stared at his sister's back as she walked away. If Azula was going to be out for the night, that meant that the airbender would be left alone. Zuko could... maybe... visit the airbender in the stables. But that would raise suspicions in anyone who saw him. There was no reason for a prince to be in the stables at any time. If a member of royalty wanted something, one of their servants can retrieve it for them. And, of course, if word of such a thing ever reached Azula... No, it would be too much of a risk.

However...

"Does the offer to play with your pet still stand?" Zuko asked. "I'd like to... _borrow _him for the night."

Azula stopped when she reached the end of the hall. There was silence as she turned and considered him for a moment. "Of course, dear brother," she said finally. "I'll have him sent up to your room later."

"Thanks..." When Azula disappeared around the corner, Zuko went back to his room, slowly thinking through the decision he just made. This could be the perfect chance for him to be able to talk to the airbender. Maybe he could help in some small way... let him know that he's not totally alone. On the other hand, it could also be totally possible that the airbender was already too far gone to be able to recognize any friendly act... Either way, Zuko had to try. It was the only way he was going to be able to sleep with some semblance of peace at night.

_I hope I don't regret this..._

* * *

**So that's the first chapter! Please review with any comments or criticisms!**


	2. Chapter 2

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**Wow, I honestly wasn't expecting my story to do so well! I look forward to continuing sharing this story with you guys! :D Remember to review an let me know what you think or to lay down any criticisms.  
**

**Enjoy Chapter 2!**

* * *

Zuko was pacing a few hallways down from his room. Occasionally he would stop at one end of the hall and look in the direction of his room, but then he'd change his mind and continue pacing.

He knew the airbender was in his room. His sister had informed him of this right before she left for Mai's. _Make sure you clean him up afterward_, she had said with that knowing grin of hers. Zuko had forced himself to smile, saying sure thing.

Almost immediately after his sister was gone, he started to head towards his room. However, the mental image of the boy, in his room, probably still chained, guarded, waiting for the prince's arrival, made him stop in his tracks.

So now he was pacing, mind going through all the possible outcomes of this evening.

"Oh, stop being a pansy and just go," he muttered to himself. Taking a deep breath, he braced himself for what was sure to be an... _interesting_ evening.

When he got to his room, he found his initial assumptions had been correct. The airbender was kneeling in the middle of the room, flanked by two guards. It looked as though he was wearing the same worn pants as before. His hands were chained tightly behind his back with his ankles. He also wore the same metal gag as before, along with a blindfold. The boy was minutely rocking back and forth, his breathing erratic.

The whole sight just made Zuko want to burn something. Preferably, someone.

"Give me the key and leave us," Zuko ordered. "You can come pick him up in the morning."

"Of course, your highness." One of the guards handed him the key before they both bowed and left the room.

Zuko just stood there for a minute, listening to the decrescendo of the guards' footsteps. He waited until he was certain they were a comfortable distance away. He had already informed all the servants that there were to be no disruptions throughout the night. This way no word would get back to Azula on what he was _really_ doing with the airbender.

Zuko took a deep breath and slowly stepped toward the boy. He could see a fine tremor run through the boy as he got closer. When he knelt in front of the airbender, he mustered up the most non-threatening voice he could and said, "My name is Zuko." He grabbed the blindfold and gently pulled it off the boy's head. "I'm not gonna hurt you..."

Once the blindfold was off, he had a pair of large grey eyes blinking at him from the sudden exposure to light. Once the boy's eyes had adjusted and focused on the prince's face, those same eyes widened in fear. A tear fell down the airbender's face as he let out a low whimper.

"Hey, it's okay..." Zuko tried to soothe. He reached behind the boy's head in order to remove the gag, but the sudden proximity made the airbender recoil back in terror. Zuko quickly brought his arms back, holding them up to show he meant no harm. "It's okay! It's okay... I just want to take the gag off... Maybe get those chains off of you?"

Zuko waited for some sort of response from the boy that would indicate that it was okay to approach him. However, the airbender didn't even seem to understand him. He just continued to tremble and stare at the prince fearfully. Zuko blew out a slow breath, trying to keep his frustration hidden. He had never felt so completely out of his element before. For the most part, he's never had to deal with people outside of nobility or servitude. He's never had to deal with common folk, let alone ones that had been traumatized as this boy has.

Zuko sat cross legged, a few feet from the airbender, not certain what else to do. He took a moment to quickly look over the boy's body. He tried to find any signs of Azula's abuse on him, but couldn't see any. No marks, cuts, or bruises... _What exactly has Azula been doing with you these last few days?_

Not that there weren't any signs of abuse: just not recent abuse. Now that he looked at the boy more closely, he noticed that the boy's face looked more like that of a teenager's. From the looks of the boy's too-thin body, Zuko presumed that malnutrition had probably stunted the airbender's growth, making him small for his age. The prince could also make out several long, jagged scars crisscrossing the boy's chest and stomach. Zuko recognized the type of scarring well enough to know what instrument was used to inflict them: a fire whip.

He cringed at the thought of someone laying a _fire whip_ across this poor creature's body. He remembered the ringleader saying something about having to break the airbender because he kept trying to escape. The boy's only crime was trying to escape from a circus that blatantly mistreats its performers. It seemed his spirit-given instinct to survive resulted only in brutal torture. And now, here he was: broken and scared.

Zuko closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry," he mumbled miserably. He knew it was pointless apology. Nothing he said could take back the actions of the ringleader or sister. Or even of his great-grandfather. Sozin had wiped out the airbenders because he saw them as being too weak, and therefore, having no place in his vision of a greater world. This boy would not have had to suffer if he wasn't, by all accounts, the last of his kind.

Even still, Zuko felt had to say _something_ on behalf of the cruelty of his people. He was their prince, and no matter how powerless he was to stop any of it, he felt that he still held some of the responsibility.

He sighed as he let his hand fall. "I'm sorry..." he muttered again. He sat there in silence, head bowed, wishing there was something more substantial he could do. However, in the silence, he suddenly noticed that wasn't hearing the airbender's harsh breathing anymore.

His head snapped up, thinking for an insane moment that the boy had suddenly died. But instead, he found the airbender looking at him with clear eyes. His breathing was even and he was sitting a little straighter. The terror seemed to have passed, but the boy still looked wary, his eyes slowly searching Zuko's face.

Hoping he was making the right decision, Zuko slowly crawled forward, the boy's eyes never leaving the Zuko's face. He made sure all his movements were slow, not wanting to startle the boy. When he noticed the fine tremor still coursing through the airbender's frail body, Zuko gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay..." he said, voice barely above a whisper. When the boy didn't recoil from the touch, Zuko slowly rubbed his hand back and forth over the bony shoulder. With his other hand, he reached behind the boy's head and, quickly as he could, undid the clasp on his gag. Feeling the gag loosen, the airbender bent over and tried to spit it out. When it didn't fall, Zuko grabbed it and gently yanked it out.

The boy took a couple of deep breaths as he relaxed into the prince's lap, his jaw hanging loosely open. He winced as he opened and closed his mouth of few times, swallowing compulsively. Zuko placed a hand on the boy's back for support, but nearly jumped when his hand landed on bumpy surface.

It took a moment for Zuko to process what he was seeing and feeling. The blue arrow on the airbender's head looked like it was supposed to continue all the way down his back. However, most of the blue line was obscured by dozens upon dozens of scars. Scars made from a fire whip, brands, and other unspeakable tortures.

Zuko felt bile rise up in his throat, but quickly swallowed it back down. He turned his focus to the boy's present needs, like getting those manacles off. As he dug through his robes to retrieve the key, the airbender sat back up and looked at the firebender with wonder. "Why?" he rasped.

Zuko froze, not certain of what heard. "What?"

The boy's eyes filled with tears again, but these tears were ones of gratitude and confusion instead of fear. "W-why?"

Zuko remained frozen. His heart clenched at confusion written all over the poor boy's face. He had asked himself that same question for the last four days, and had given himself at least twenty explanations. But for this boy... he didn't seem to have an adequate answer.

So instead, Zuko crawled around the boy and started unlocking the manacles. When he was done, he went back to sitting in front of the boy, who was now rubbing his wrists and rotating his shoulders. It was then that Zuko realized he didn't even know the boy's name. "What's your name, kid?"

The boy looked up at him, surprised by the question. He slowly readjusted himself into a cross legged position, mirroring the prince, before quietly answering. "Aang."

"Aang... that's... a nice name..." Zuko said weakly, desperate to say _something_. "... I'm Zuko, though I think I already said that... Aang, huh? That's an unusual name, though I imagine it's an Air Nomad name, so of course it'd be strange to someone from the Fire Nation..."

Aang watched curiously as the prince rambled on about their names. When Zuko finally noticed that he had a strangely captivated audience, he realized he was rambling and promptly shut up. Feeling a bit self-conscious, Zuko cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Are you hungry?" The airbender perked up a little before giving a quick nod. "Okay, then..." Zuko got up and grabbed a pear apple from the bowl of fruit that was sitting on his side table. When he turned back around, Aang bent the air underneath in order to help prop himself up into a standing position. He looked a little wobbly for a moment, but after a few steps, Aang seemed solid on his feet. He looked between the offered fruit and Zuko's face, silently asking if it was okay to take it. When Zuko nodded, Aang eagerly swiped the pear-apple out of his hand and bit off a large chunk. He closed his eyes and let out a small moan as he slowly chewed through the juicy meat of the fruit.

Zuko's face broke out into a crooked smile as he watched the airbender savor the pear apple. It made him wonder when Aang last had any proper food. Sitting down on his bed, he started popping grape tomatoes in his mouth. _Well, at least he's eating..._

Except when he looked back at the airbender, he noticed Aang had... _stopped_... eating. The half-eaten pear apple was clenched tightly in his trembling hands. Aang had his head bowed down, shoulders hunched, face hidden from the prince. Frowning at the sudden change in demeanor, Zuko stood and placed a hand on the airbender's shoulder. Aang flinched, but didn't pull away. "Aang? What's wrong?"

Aang lifted his head for a moment, revealing a tear-streaked face. However, when their eyes met, Aang quickly bowed his head again, letting out a small sob. Zuko was honestly shocked. The airbender had been so enthusiastic while he ate his pear apple, it was startling to see the boy fall apart so quickly. From the brief glimpse Zuko caught of Aang's face, the poor boy looked so conflicted that it almost made his chest physically ache.

"I-I'm sorry..." Aang stammered out. Keeping his head bowed, he tried to wipe his tears with his bare arms. "I... I j-just..." Another sob erupted from him and he gave up trying to wipe his tears away. "You're being... s-so _kind_ t-to me..."

That hit Zuko like a blow to the gut. He took his hand from Aang's shoulder. "No, I'm not." He closed his eyes. This wasn't fair. He didn't deserve this boy's gratitude, on any level. "If I was _truly_ kind, I'd find a way to get you out of here, away from my sister," he bitterly spat. In a move of cowardice, Zuko turned away from Aang, not wanting to face the boy as he admitted his shame. "But I can't. It's complicated... my life is complicated. The only reason you're here, now, with me, is because I assumed that I could clear myself of blame if I gave you at least one night of human decency." Zuko sighed. "I see now that that was selfish of me. _All_ of this... is just selfishness on my part."

There was silence. Some time during Zuko's impromptu confession, Aang had stopped crying, leaving them both standing in absolute... _silence_.

When Zuko started to think over what all he had said, he had to resist the urge to smack himself on the forehead. Had it really been necessary to display his shame all out before them? Especially to a boy he barely knew? What was he _thinking_? Why didn't he just say, _Well, it's my pleasure to be kind to you. Want a cherry tomato?_ God, he was so stupid...

"Well... even if you think it's selfish... it still made me happy."

Zuko turned back to the airbender, the surprise evident on his face. Aang was staring down at his half-eaten pear apple as he turned it over in his hands. When Zuko stepped towards him, Aang looked up and gave a hesitant smile. "Th-thank you..."

Zuko felt a heat rise up in his face. He had no idea why, but he felt _embarrassed_. It probably had something to do with the fact that he had just unintentionally vented his frustrations to a kid. A peasant. A peasant... who was presently smiling shyly at him.

"No problem," Zuko croaked. He indicated the bed. "Sit." He pointed to the fruit bowl. "Eat." He sat down on the head of his bed with a sigh. Aang's been there all of twenty minutes, and already he was exhausted.

Aang took a seat next to Zuko on the bed, finishing up his pear apple, core and all. Zuko offered him more, but Aang gave a small shake of his head. They proceeded to sit in even more uncomfortable silence. Zuko was forcing himself to munch on more grape tomatoes just to have something to do.

Then, without prompt, Aang leapt up and stood facing the prince. He looked up at the ceiling, then at the wall behind him, before turning back to Zuko with a smile. "I'm ready."

Zuko frowned. "Ready for what...?"

Aang bent his knees and launched himself into the air. His feet barely brushed the ceiling as he turned his body in a backflip. Falling at a rate too slow for someone his size, he softly landed on his finger. Then, he bent his arm and launched himself back up to land on his feet back where he started.

Zuko watched Aang in surprise, confused about by the airbender's sudden show of acrobatics. "Aang... what are you doing?"

Aang gave him a look of confusion before it quickly turned to one of worry. "I-I have other routines...!" Aang quickly looked around the room. "It's kinda small in here, b-but I can adjust!"

Realizing where Aang's sudden nervousness was coming from, Zuko quickly went to place his hands on Aang's shoulders before he could launch himself into the air again. "Aang, calm down! You don't need to perform for me..."

This only seemed to make the airbender more agitated. "N-no, no, no!" he said quickly. "I-I can do better... I p-promise...!"

Zuko squeezed Aang's shoulders and gave him a hard shake. "Aang! Calm down!"

Aang stopped rambling and looked up at the prince with wide eyes. Zuko loosened his grip and softened his tone. "It's okay. You don't need to perform. You don't need to do _anything_. Tonight, you can just relax. Be yourself."

Aang's eyes filled with tears and his body trembled under Zuko's grip. "I... I don't remember how..." he admitted softly.

Zuko bit his lip, not quite knowing how to respond to such a statement. He was beginning to wish his uncle was here. His uncle always seemed to know how to deal with people in difficult situations. Zuko frowned to himself. What _would_ his uncle do in this situation?

Well, serve tea, for one. But Zuko couldn't make tea to save his honor, and he wasn't about to leave Aang alone in his room in order to get some.

So... what _else_ would his uncle do?

"Well..." Zuko said slowly, "... I'm sure we can get you to relax, even if you don't remember how." He gestured towards the back of his room. "We could play Pai Sho..."

Aang quirked an eyebrow up. "You play Pai Sho?"

Zuko nodded, happy that he seemed to have grabbed Aang's interest. "I kinda suck at it, though... I'm assuming this means you know how to play?"

Aang nodded. "It's been awhile since I've played, though..." he said quietly.

Zuko gave a genuine smile. "That's okay. I'm sure you'll still kick my ass..."

As they played through their first game, Aang still seemed hesitant in all his actions and movements. His shoulders remained hunched and he kept his eyes cast downward, only looking up to glance at the board or to quickly gage Zuko's expressions. Zuko was a little saddened that Aang was still expecting mistreatment to come his way. It made him feel guilty, because as soon as morning came, he knew he would have to send Aang back to live in Azula's cage.

As the game continued, Zuko became more and more confused as he found himself _winning_. This was certainly a shock, considering he wasn't even really paying attention to what he was doing. When the game ended, Zuko shook his head and said, "We're going to have to play again." Aang frowned, cocking his head to the side in evident confusion. This made Zuko smiled. "_This_ time, you're not going to go easy on me. Try to win. Okay?"

Aang's eyes widened and he quickly turned his head away as he blushed. "O-okay..." he muttered.

Zuko had to suppress a laugh. Aang actually looked embarrassed. _Good_, Zuko thought to himself. _Now we're even._

They played several games, well into the night. Aang won almost every single one. Zuko was pleased to see the airbender relaxing as the night progressed. He even smiled a couple times when Zuko got particularly frustrated at Aang's unusual strategies. "You would give my uncle a run for his money..." he growled at one point. Aang's smile widened in response.

It wasn't until Aang starting yawning that Zuko decided it was probably time to go to turn in. When he said just as much, Aang's smile vanished and his body returned to his submissive posture. "D-does that mean I have to go back?"

Zuko's heart ached at the resigned tone. "Yes," he said quietly. "But not until morning." When Aang quirked an eyebrow, he elaborated. "You can sleep here, with me, tonight." When Aang continued to look wary, Zuko pointed to the bed. "You can sleep there. I'll crash on the couch."

Aang's eyes got impossibly wide. "W-what?" he sputtered. "I-I can't sleep in your bed! What if someone sees?"

Zuko sighed. "When was the last time you slept in a bed?" When he didn't get an answer, he nodded. "That's what I thought. As far as someone seeing goes... no one is going to approach my room until mid-morning, and I'm always up before dawn."

Aang looked like he wanted to continue to protest, but also seemed too afraid to question someone he viewed as his superior. Seeing the conflict on the boy's face, Zuko knelt in front of him and placed his hands on his shoulders. "For everything my people have put you through..." he said softly, "... this is the very least I can do."

Aang still looked uncertain, but slowly nodded his head. Zuko smiled. "C'mon." He gently grabbed Aang's upper arm, pulling up to a standing position, and guiding him to the bed. He pulled back the covers and gestured Aang to crawl in. The airbender gulped before slowly climbing onto the bed, stroking the sheets under him with a shy reverence. As Zuko pulled the covers back over the boy, he came to the realization he was treating Aang like a mother would a child. But Aang didn't seem to mind, so he didn't worry too much about it.

When Aang closed his eyes, Zuko allowed himself to smile. While the airbender's life would be going back to hell the next day, Zuko was pleased to know he had given Aang at least one night of peace. As he stood to get himself ready to sleep, Aang said something that made him pause. "What?"

Aang's eyes were still closed as he whispered, "You're wrong."

Zuko's brow furrowed. He still wasn't sure he heard right. "Sorry?"

Aang opened his eyes, and for the first time, looked straight into the prince's golden ones. Tears started to run down the side of his face as he gave a shaky smile. "You're not selfish at all."

* * *

**Please leave a review with any comments or criticisms! :)  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! You have no idea how much they mean to me!  
**

**I'm going to be out of the country for about a week and a half, and probably won't have much time to update. I'll still be working, though, and will hopefully have a chapter or two ready to post when I get back!  
**

******This chapter was particularly difficult... I rewrote it a few times and I'm still not pleased with it, but I can't figure out how to make it better. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!**

**Enjoy Chapter 3!**

* * *

Zuko let out a grunt with each fireball he punched out at the stone targets. The fire enveloped the targets, leaving them glowing red when the flames finally dissipated. As he continued to punch out fire at the targets, Zuko imagined them getting so hot that they eventually melted. He knew it was impossible, but the uncanny goal kept him fired up enough to keep going.

His firebending was a little more out of control than he would normally like, but today, he didn't care. He had done his breathing exercises beforehand, but he was unconsciously seeing this as an opportunity to punch out his anger and frustration. While he could hear his uncle chastising him in the back of his mind, he chose to ignore it, concentrating on the strain in his muscles.

Feeling no satisfaction watching his fire simply roll over the stone, Zuko mustered his hottest fire and let out a roar as he swiped his leg at one of the targets. The force and fire of his sweeping kick shattered the target, sending stone shrapnel flying across the arena. Zuko let out a breathy chuckle, feeling a ridiculous amount of pride as he stared at what was left of the target.

Exhausted from his three hour workout, Zuko grabbed a towel and started wiping the excess sweat of his face. When one of the servants offered water, he grabbed the glass and quickly downed it. Waving the servants away, he sat on one of the benches and leaned forward on his knees, panting heavily.

As the high from the exercise wore down, Zuko felt his anger and frustration slowly creep back to the forefront of his mind. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, letting out a frustrated sigh. This just wasn't fair. The whole point of bringing the airbender to his room, letting him have a 'normal' evening, was to help clear his head of guilt. And while Zuko hadn't expected to feel completely free of self-blame, he was hoping he would at least feel a _little_ better about life.

But, no. Now he felt a thousand times worse.

Now, Aang seemed to linger in his thoughts in almost every waking hour. While the abuse made him difficult to read, Aang seemed to be a genuinely kind, light-hearted kid. If they were living vastly different lives, Zuko could have seen them becoming friends. Once again, the prince found himself cursing their circumstances.

At night, his nightmares were plagued with images of Aang being abused and tortured by cruel benders. More than once, Zuko would wake up from these night terrors vomiting, the knowledge that these nightmares had once been a reality for Aang churning his stomach.

But what tormented him the most was that, in the evening they spent together, Zuko had realized that Aang still had just the slightest bit of spark left in him. Despite everything he's been through... even after a few days of Azula doing who-knows-what to him... he wasn't completely broken. Knowing that Aang might have a chance of recovery, a chance for a relatively normal life, and knowing that Azula was probably destroying that chance... made Zuko hate himself even more than he had a week ago.

It had only been a few days since Aang spent the night in his room, but Azula was having at least a session a day with him. The fact that Zuko hadn't seen any physical signs of abuse on Aang didn't assuage any of his worries. He's had enough personal experience with Azula's ability to mentally torture to know that it could be equally, if not more, damaging as any physical torture.

Zuko had never felt more conflicted, and for him, that was saying something. While the desire to somehow rescue Aang was overwhelming, so was the desire to keep what little was left of his father's favor. These desires seemed to be at constant war inside of him. While he wanted to both free Aang and preserve his father's trust, he knew there were only two realistic resolutions to this conflict: leave Aang to suffer and proceed life as if they had never met... or free Aang and forsake, not only his father, but his nation.

In the meantime, he wanted to see Aang again. While he was busy trying to make up his mind, he might as well try to alleviate some of Aang's suffering. A part of him knew this was a bad idea, but another part of him vainly hoped that seeing the airbender again might help him figure out which resolution he ultimately should choose.

Zuko left the practice arena in search of his sister. He was going to have to try and come to an arrangement with her so that he could spend more nights with Aang and give the airbender some reprieve from Azula. To do this, he was going to have to convince her that he wanted to have just as much 'fun' with Aang as she did. If he was successful, he will have made a good impression on his sister (which would get back to their father) in addition to being able to see Aang.

With the help of a few servants, Zuko found Azula conversing with her friends outside near the fountain. Ty Lee, a small girl who always dressed in pink, was balancing on her hands, marching on the edge of the fountain. Mai, a gloomy sort of girl who never worse a shade lighter than maroon, was slouched under the tree, fiddling with one of her blades.

Azula sat on the fountain's edge, looking authoritative as always. She was mid-laugh when she saw her brother approach. "Oh look, my dear brother as graced us with his presence."

"Zuko!" Ty Lee exclaimed. She jumped down from the fountain, landing on her feet, before running up to him. "I haven't seen you in _ages_! How've you been?"

"Fine," he said curtly.

Ty Lee frowned. "You know, that dark attitude of yours will make your skin break out."

Zuko growled darkly. "I stopped worry about the condition of my _skin_ a while ago."

To her credit, Ty Lee looked a little shameful. "Oh, right..."

Azula let out an exaggerated sigh. "Always the _dramatic_ one, aren't you, Zuzu?"

Knowing his request might require some coaxing, Zuko decided to let the stupid nickname go. "I need to ask you something."

"Oh, really?"

Zuko took a deep breath. "When is it my turn again?"

Azula feigned confusion. "Turn for what, dear brother?"

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about! The _airbender_." Zuko added a smile for good measure. "You've been hogging him these last few days. I mean, you don't even have to share him with our father. So I'll ask again... when is it my turn?"

A slight frown marred his sister's face, and for a moment, Zuko thought Azula saw right through his charade. However, her frown quickly turned into a pleased smirk. She stood and slowly walked towards him. "You know... I always had you pegged as a big softie. You always seemed to take mother's ridiculous notion of compassion to heart." Azula stopped in front of him, looking genuinely happy. "I'm glad to see that you really do have some of Father in you."

They stood toe-to-toe, Zuko carefully maintaining his dark smile. He made certain not to break eye contact with her. One of the upsides of growing up with his sister was that he knew exactly how to fool her, despite her excellent ability to read people.

Finally, Azula stepped back, satisfied with what she saw. "You can have the airbender tonight, since it has been a few days. And as long as it's not every night, just ask and I'll let you have a turn."

Zuko smiled even wider. "Thank you, my darling sister."

* * *

Like before, The guards escorted Aang to his room in the early evening. They had a tight grip on the airbender's arms, practically dragging him into the room since his chains made it almost impossible for him to walk properly. They set the trembling airbender down in the corner, where he tried to make himself small as possible.

"Give me the key and leave," Zuko ordered. Aang flinched and slightly uncurled himself at the sound of his voice.

When the guards were gone, Zuko quickly started to remove Aang from his bondage. When he had finally removed Aang's chains and had tossed them aside, he noticed that Aang was looking at him as though he were about to sprout wings and fly around the room. Confused, but encouraged by the lack of fear present in the airbender's features, Zuko sat down in front of him and placed his hands on the airbender's shoulders. Aang flinched at the contact, but still looked more surprised than fearful. "Aang...?" Zuko said slowly. "... are you okay?"

Instead of answering, Aang sat up on his knees and leaned towards the prince. Zuko flinched back in surprise, taking his hands off the airbender's shoulders. Aang didn't seem to notice as he placed his own hands on Zuko's chest, his wide eyes never leaving the Zuko's face. For a moment, they both remained frozen, staring at each other in a mix of confusion and wonder. When Zuko noticed that he could feel Aang's hands trembling on his chest, it took all he had to not wrap his arms around him and tell him it was going to be okay. But he could tell from the expression on Aang's face that such a move would only startle him.

With a trembling hand, Aang started to ghost his fingertips over the firebender's face. Zuko stayed as still as possible, still uncertain as to what Aang was doing. When Aang's fingertips made contact with his scar, Zuko involuntarily twitched, making Aang draw back his hand as if burned.

"Aang?" Zuko asked quietly.

Sitting back down, Aang's eyes welled with tears as he removed his hand from Zuko's chest. He opened his mouth a few times, but his trembling jaw seemed to make it difficult for him to speak. Finally, he managed to mumble out, "I... I didn't think you were real... I thought you were a d-dream..."

Zuko's chest constricted painfully at the sincere disbelief in Aang's voice. "Oh, Aang..." Finally giving into impulse, Zuko wrapped his arms around the airbender and gently pulled him into his chest. Aang tensed at the sudden embrace, but Zuko leaned his head down and softly muttered, "I'm just as real as you are..."

It took a moment, but Aang slowly started to relax and melt into Zuko's arms. When he started to shake with renewed tears, he buried his face into the side of Zuko's neck and let out a shaky sigh. The prince tightened his embrace in response, continuing to whisper meaningless reassurances. As he minutely rocked the airbender, he meekly wondered when Aang last had any positive human contact. Judging from the way he clutched at Zuko's robes with a childlike earnestness, he assumed years.

It was only when Aang's crying ceased and his breathing evened that Zuko suggested they get up so they could eat something. Aang gave a shaky nod and, with obvious reluctance, removed himself from the prince's arms. His face was red and tear streaked, but he looked calmer than before and even managed to give Zuko a shaky smile, which was returned.

It wasn't until after the embrace was broken that Zuko noticed the bruises. A couple of purple patches blossomed over Aang's ribs, and a smaller one encompassed the left portion of his jaw. While they looked nasty, the prince was grateful to see that Aang didn't have worse injuries.

Like before, Zuko offered Aang some fruit, which he accepted and munched on happily. Zuko brought up the idea of have some _actual_ food brought in, like some roasted flying boar. However, Aang shyly admitted to being a vegetarian and seemed content with just having the fruit.

"So, what exactly do you want to do?" Zuko asked. He looked around his room. "I mean, not that there's much to do in my room... And we definitely shouldn't do anything that involves _leaving_ my room..."

Aang looked towards the back of the room. "Pai Sho?" he asked tentatively.

The Fire Nation prince frowned. "You sure? That's all we did last time."

Aang vigorously nodded. "I don't mind. I used to play all the time at the Southern Air Temple."

Zuko smiled at this. This was the first time Aang had mentioned anything remotely personal. He was glad to know that the airbender was becoming comfortable enough to mention such a thing, even if only in passing. However, for some unknown reason, Aang's statement seemed... strange to him. It took him a moment, but when he thought over Aang's statement again, he frowned. "Wait, how can there be people living at the Southern Air Temple?" he asked. "I thought all the air temples were destroyed during the genocide."

Aang squirmed uncomfortably as he shifted his gaze to the floor. "Yeah... that's what I've been told..." he said quietly.

This only furthered Zuko's confusion. "What do you mean 'been told'? You just said you used to play Pai Sho there."

Aang's trembling returned, but he didn't respond. Instead, he looked at the Pai Sho table and hesitantly asked, "Can we play?"

While Zuko was anxious for some form of explanation, he didn't want to push Aang into saying anything he wasn't too comfortable with. So he just shrugged and said sure. Aang's shoulders immediately relaxed and his trembling lessened, obviously relieved that Zuko didn't press the issue. Sparing the prince a quick glance, Aang smiled and jumped off the bed with a gust of air. "I've been practicing some new strategies in my head," he said excitedly. "I wanna try them out and see how they work!"

Zuko rolled his eyes with a smile. "Great... because it wasn't difficult to beat you _before_ you started strategizing."

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Zuko had fallen into a pattern of sorts with Aang. While Aang no longer doubted that Zuko was real, the prince always found himself with a sobbing, trembling airbender in his arms after removing his chains. Zuko didn't really mind, though it was always saddening. He would hold Aang tightly, sometimes rocking him, until the sobbing had ceased and the trembling subsided. Then Aang would usually transform into a shy, but spirited airbender.

Usually.

Aang had both good days and bad days. On good days, he was hesitant, but eager to show Zuko what he knew about Pai Sho or small tidbits of Air Nomad culture, even if he wasn't forthcoming with details of his own past. He'd happily listen to Zuko's ramblings on various subjects, sometimes asking for clarification on topics he wasn't familiar with.

However, on bad days, Aang was fearful and would hardly speak. He often stared blankly into space, lost in some other world of torments that only he could see. It was on these days that Aang treated Zuko more as a master than as a friend.

Their first 'bad' day was their fourth evening together. When Aang launched himself into Zuko's arms, there was no sobbing. Instead, he just silently trembled. When Zuko finally got Aang to speak, he was stuttering so badly it was near unintelligible. Zuko could tell that Aang was trying to pull himself together, trying to turn into that relatively light-hearted kid, but the best he was able to manage was to be frighteningly submissive. They ate fruit and played Pai Sho, the same as they did the previous three times, but this time, the airbender sat in silence for almost the whole evening. He even lost every single game they played, which Zuko suspect was because he was fearful of some kind of retribution.

At the end of that night, Aang was sitting up in Zuko's bed, refusing to lie down. Zuko tried several times to convince the airbender to sleep, but everything he said seemed to roll over Aang like water over stone. Finally, Zuko just wrapped his arms around Aang. He told him reassuring lies, such as how safe he was, or how he wasn't going to let anything happen to him. But as phoney as these reassurances were, they seemed to break through Aang's catatonia. He eventually turned and relaxed into Zuko's embrace, muttering a small apology. Zuko refused the apology, telling him he had nothing to feel sorry for. Eventually, Aang fell asleep in Zuko's arms.

That night, and every night that followed, Zuko slept with Aang in his bed. The airbender was obviously starved for human contact and seemed to sleep better with the prince next to him during the night.

While Zuko always felt better about himself at the conclusion of these evenings, he _also_ always felt like scum by the time the sun rose, because when the morning finally came, Zuko knew he had to put Aang back in his chains. The worst part wasn't even the action of rebinding the airbender. No. The worst part was that Aang never complained or resisted. He seemed resigned to his fate as one in those chains and always wordlessly allowed Zuko to rebind him. This, more than anything, made the feeling of scumhood linger with Zuko until Aang was once again seeking comfort in his arms.

These feelings, among other things, had started to define Zuko's life into two separate pieces: a piece with Aang and a piece with his family. While it wasn't always easy, he viewed the time he spent with Aang as precious. When he was with Aang, he was able to not only help someone other than himself, but _be_ himself without fear. On the other hand, when he was with his father and sister, he had to maintain the visage of a prince turning heartless. This was incredibly draining, especially when it was in such conflict with how he behaved when he was with Aang. The constant switching between the two personas left Zuko feeling exhausted and empty at the end of each day.

To make matters worse, he was also no closer to making a decision between saving Aang or maintaining his relationship with his father. It was painfully clear to him now that he should have _never_ met with Aang in the first place. If he had never had contact... never gotten a chance to get to know the airbender... Zuko could have easily ignored him and not have this impossible decision constantly breathing down his neck. But it was too late now. Zuko _had_ gotten to know Aang, interacted with him, became _attached_. While he didn't have the energy to live this double life forever, he also didn't have the resolve to make a concrete decision. It had gotten to the point where he cared for Aang almost as much as he cared for his nation and his people.

Because at this point, Zuko had figured out the root of his desire to keep his father's favor. Yes, it was to keep his throne, but more than that, it was to serve his nation. If he had learned anything at the last war meeting he attended, it was that his people needed him. If the generals thought it was okay to needlessly sacrifice the lives of Fire Nation citizens, then Zuko knew he needed to change things. But the only way he could do that was to succeed Ozai to the throne. And the only way to do that was to stay on his father's good side.

So, he had to choose. Aang, or his nation. Rationally, Zuko knew that he should choose to forsake Aang. The welfare of one boy couldn't possibly compare to the duty he had to his people. However, his heart always rebelled against this conclusion, and Zuko always found himself back to square one.

It was becoming a battle between his heart and his mind, and not even Zuko knew where his loyalty ultimately lay.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review with any comments or criticisms! :)  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! You have no idea how much they mean to me!  
**

**AN: I'm going to be heading to college soon, so my updates might become less frequent. I have NO intention of abandoning the story. I'm just warning you guys.  
**

**WHEW! This was a HARD chapter to write. It's also much longer than I originally thought it would be. It's not my best, but I think it's okay... :P  
**

**Leave a review with any criticisms or comments you may have!  
**

**Enjoy Chapter 4!**

* * *

_Zuko was awake, but hadn't opened his eyes. Or... eye. He didn't want to think about it, but it was hard to ignore. The bandage felt thick and heavy; almost suffocating. His face was thrumming from intense pain, as if someone had set that section of his face back on fire._

_An image of his father's face, twisted with disgust and shame, floated to the forefront of his mind. Zuko clenched his fists into the bed linens beneath him. He could feel his right eye tearing at the memory, but refused to let it fall. He wasn't going to add to his personal shame._

_"Are you in pain?"_

_Zuko's eye blinked open in surprise, not realizing he hadn't been alone. It took a moment for his vision to clear, but soon he was able to see the person sitting next to his bed. Not that he needed a visual confirmation on the identity of his visitor. He'd know that voice anywhere. "Uncle..." he rasped._

_Iroh held a tea cup up to Zuko's mouth. "Drink this. It will make you feel better."_

_While he hated tea, Zuko forced himself to swallow down the bitter liquid. He almost winced at the taste, but he knew doing so would only aggravate his burn, so forced his face to stay still._

_"I know it's not the best tasting tea," Iroh said, "but it will help you recover."_

_Zuko had a hundred questions he wanted to ask, but he was so tired. Even swallowing was an exhausting task. His uncle must have sensed this, because after he set the tea cup down, he leaned forward and placed a hand on the undamaged side of his nephew's face. "Sleep now. We can talk later."_

_Not needing to be told twice, Zuko closed his eye again, relaxing his head into the pillow. "Thank you, Uncle."_

* * *

"Father wants to see you in an hour."

Zuko looked up from the scroll he had been reading. "What?"

Azula was standing in the doorway to the library. Rolling her eyes, she repeated herself. "I said, Father wants to see you in an hour."

Zuko frowned. He couldn't even remember the last time his father had summoned him. "Why?"

She shrugged innocently. "I don't know. I imagine it has something to do with the White Lotus... That's what everything is about these days." That being said, she turned and walked away. Zuko shook his head, knowing his sister was probably right.

Three days earlier, they had gotten word that their intelligence on the location of the White Lotus' Headquarters turned out to be a false lead. The mission had been a complete waste of both time and resources. The Firelord had been furious upon hearing this and immediately executed those in charge of, and responsible for, gathering the intelligence. Ever since, Ozai had been completely consumed with every bit of information regarding the White Lotus. Unfortunately, there wasn't much information to go on, which had put him in a permanently foul mood. He had already ordered half of his personal servants to be flogged for the most minor of infractions. Zuko had found himself extremely grateful that his father had no interest in Aang, knowing Aang would have also had to face his father's wrath.

With a resigned sigh, Zuko put his scroll down and stood. If the Firelord has summoned him, then it was only appropriate that he dress in his best. He tried not to shudder when he thought about what his father possibly wanted. He hadn't been formally summoned since he was thirteen, probably because Ozai thought his son too disgraceful to warrant such a formality.

But considering his father's latest obsession with the White Lotus, Zuko had an inkling as to what his father was looking for in him. While there was no intelligence to support it, he imagined the Firelord had figured out that Iroh was involved with the White Lotus. The organization rose after Iroh disappeared, and it was really the only explanation for how they could so easily trick Fire Nation informants. Considering the close relationship Iroh and Zuko had shared, it would be best to assume that Ozai intended to see if Iroh had said anything useful to Zuko before he disappeared, even if only in passing.

"Formal," Zuko told his servants as he entered his room. "I've been summoned by the Firelord." After a quick bow, a couple servants started to remove the prince's casual robes while the others gathered his formal wear.

* * *

_Iroh was still sitting next to his bed when he next gain consciousness. More aware than he was last time he awoke, Zuko noticed that his uncle looked terrible. He had dark circles under his eyes which were in sharp contrast to his unusually pale complexion. He sat completely still except for his hand, which was fiddling with a Pai Sho tile. He seemed to be in a deep state of contemplation. The sight was a little disconcerting, especially when his uncle was known for being jovial and lazy._

_When Iroh saw that Zuko was awake, he sat up and smiled. "Feeling better, Nephew?"_

_Zuko shrugged. "Better than before," he said hoarsely. When he tried to sit up, Iroh grabbed his arm and slowly pulled him into an upright position. "How long was I out?"_

_Iroh sat back down with a sigh. "It's been nearly two weeks."_

_Zuko's eye widened. "Two weeks?!"_

_"That was to be expected," Iroh said, voice surprisingly stern. "You're injury was very grave, my nephew. The only reason you still have both eyes is because our healers are the best in the Fire Nation."_

_Zuko impulsively touched a hand to his bandage, as if to check if he still, indeed, had both eyes. He sighed when he realized he could feel both his eyes moving in sync with each other. Looking back to his uncle, he frowned in confusion. "Have you been here the whole time?"_

_Iroh didn't answer. He was stoically staring at the Pai Sho tile as he flipped it through his fingers._

_Zuko's frown deepened. This was so unlike him. Iroh has always tried to keep an upbeat, easy going attitude, even in the worst of situations. Zuko had never seen him looking so serious before, and it had him worried. "Uncle?"_

_Finally, Iroh seemed to break out of his brief reverie, gripping the tile for a moment before offering it to Zuko with an open palm. "This is for you."_

* * *

Zuko stood at the entrance of the throne room, staring at the Firelord's silhouette as he sat on the throne. He wondered briefly if his father could see him standing at the entrance through the flames.

Quit stalling and go, he thought to himself. Taking a fortifying breath, he closed his eyes for a moment, readying himself to face the Firelord in his own domain. Releasing his breath, he opened his eyes and started the walk down the giant hall. He breathed deeply, making sure to completely exhale before breathing in again. He was trying to keep himself calm, but the closer he got to the massive fire, the more it became clear that any sort of internal tranquility was going to be a futile task. When he finally reached the front of the throne room, he bowed his head and kneeled.

There was a period of silence, during which Zuko tried desperately not to hyperventilate. His father was probably doing this on purpose, knowing the silence would only increase his son's anxiety. Suddenly, the Firelord stood, briefly lowering the flames to allow himself to step down from his throne. Zuko kept his head bowed down in respect as his father stood silently in front of him. He sincerely hoped he was only imagining himself tremble as he knelt at his father's feet. He could almost feel his father's scrutinizing gaze boring into the back of his head. Finally, after several more moments of silence, the Firelord spoke.

"Prince Zuko..." Ozai started to slowly walk around his son, like a wasp vulture circling its desert prey. "As you know, the terrorist regime known as the White Lotus has managed topple some of our most important operations. They have even managed to, not only elude, but trick our best agents for years now. It's almost as if they have intimate knowledge of Fire Nation methods." There was a pause in the Firelord's footsteps before they continued again. "It would seem that my dear brother has become a traitor. It pains me to even think such a thing, but I can find no other reasonable explanation from the evidence provided."

The Firelord stopped when he was in front of Zuko again. "I know Iroh favored you, my son. I need to know if he ever told you anything that could help take the White Lotus down."

"I'm sorry, no." Zuko raised his head and looked his father in the eye. "I didn't even know Uncle Iroh had any connection to the White Lotus."

His father's eyes narrowed. "Is that so...?"

Zuko frowned. "Of course. I have no reason to lie."

There was another moment of silence as Ozai scrutinized his son's neutral gaze. Then he turned to the guard who was standing at the side entrance and gave him a nod. The guard quickly bowed before leaving the throne room.

Zuko watched his father, expecting him to say something that he didn't want the guard to hear. However, Ozai did no such thing. Instead, he stared at his son with a small, unnerving smile. Zuko was more confused than anxious until the guard returned, dragging something with him. The guard dumped his package on the ground in front of the throne. The sound of rattling chains, which echoed loudly in the throne room, was quickly followed by a familiar whimper.

Zuko's stomach dropped. His fears were only confirmed when he glimpsed the blue arrow, obscured by short locks of brown hair.

_Aang_

The airbender was blindfolded and gagged as he always was. His hands were chained in front of him, while his legs were splayed below him, unshackled. He visibly trembled, but otherwise remained silent.

Zuko carefully kept his face neutral, not wanting to give his father any indication he cared. That would be all the leverage Ozai needed to try and use Aang to worm information from his son. However, a part of Zuko already knew that it was already too late. Why else would his father bring Aang before them like this?

"Azula tells me you've been spending quite a bit of time with the airbender." Ozai walked toward where the airbender sat. He placed a hand on the top of Aang's head, making the airbender shudder.

Zuko shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "Not compared to her. She plays with him almost everyday. I only mess with him every third or fourth day."

"Hmm... Azula seems to think your relationship with this boy has more of an... affectionate nature." Ozai chuckled. "Not that I care what you do with the boy. My main concern is the war. And the White Lotus." Stepping back, he nodded to the guard. "You may begin."

With an eager grin, the guard grabbed Aang's chains and propped him up against the nearest pillar. He lifted Aang's arms and attached the chains to the torch, pulling him up so his toes could barely make purchase on the ground. Seeming satisfied with his handiwork, the guard flicked his arm out, a fire whip trailed out from his fist. The crack and sizzling of the whip caused Aang to flinch and whimper, his body starting to shake violently.

Even if his father said he didn't care how Zuko treated Aang, he still kept his face carefully neutral. It was becoming an increasingly difficult task as Aang's whimpers echoed in the throne room. "What do you intend to gain from this?" he asked evenly.

Ozai's smile widened. "You always were terrible at hiding your feelings." He nodded at his son with a condescending air. "That's good. It makes you so much easier for me to exploit."

A loud crack and a muffled scream echoed through the room, making the prince jump. His eyes flicked to where Aang hung, feeling sick at the sight of fresh blood seeping out of the long burn that stretched diagonally across Aang's back. Zuko looked at his father pleadingly. "I swear, I don't know anything! Father...!"

"Do not address me so casually, you little liar! I know Iroh! I know he wouldn't have left under such circumstances without telling you _something!_"

As the Firelord pressed on his son, the guard continued to rain down blows upon the airbender's back. It was quickly becoming a myriad of crimsons, the smell of blood, sweat, and burnt flesh becoming thick in the air. Aang hung limply in his chains, his toes no longer offering him any support. His muffled screams turned to small whimpers, barely audible over the crack of the whip.

* * *

_Zuko had a skeptical look as he took the Pai Sho tile from his uncle's hand. He flipped it over, feeling the raised white lotus pattern that decorated both sides of the tile. It was unusually ornate for a Pai Sho piece. Even so, he couldn't help but feel annoyance at the gift. "What am I supposed to do with this? I hate Pai Sho."_

_"I know you do. But I think it would be good for you to delve a little more into the strategy of the game."_

_"What are you talking about?" Zuko asked, his anger rising. "My father just burned off half my face, and you're talking to me about a stupid game?"_

_"You underestimate its value, my nephew. Pai Sho is much more than just a game. It's a way of connecting people." Iroh nodded to the tile. "The White Lotus strategy, in particular. Not many still cling to the ancient ways. Those who do... can always find a friend."_

_Zuko rolled his eyes. "I don't want to hear one of your stupid philosophical speeches."_

_Iroh nodded with a small smile. "I understand, Prince Zuko. I will let you rest now." He stood and began to leave, but just before he exited the room, he said, "If you ever feel trapped... or find that your perception of loyalty has changed... I suggest looking for yourself in the gardens. It is an excellent environment for self-reflection."_

_A stab of anger shot through Zuko's chest. "Don't you dare question my loyalty! I am loyal to the Fire Nation and nothing would ever make me feel different!"_

_Iroh nodded and said, "Of course, Prince Zuko."_

* * *

Zuko's vision was blurring. The sight, the sound, the smell... He felt like he was going to pass out any second. He looked to his father, trying to blink away his tears. Displaying weakness wouldn't do him any good at this stage. "I swear on Agni's name..." he said slowly, mentally cursing himself when his voice shook. "Uncle Iroh didn't say anything to me. Not unless you count him wishing me a quick recovery..."

Ozai's face twisted in rage, not satisfied with his son's answer. "Is that so?" He turned around and shoved the guard aside, twisting his fist into the airbender's hair. Ignoring the mewls of distress, Ozai ripped Aang's blindfold off and yanked his head so that it faced Zuko. "Say it again, my dear son. But this time, say it to _his_ face."

Aang's eyes were bloodshot and unfocused, tears falling freely down his reddened face. Zuko's throat felt blocked at the sight. He silently apologized to Aang before swallowing down the imaginary rock that had lodged in his throat and forced his mouth open. "I don't know... _anything_."

Ozai glared at Zuko, his anger palpable. He knew that his son lying and outraged that his ploy hadn't worked. He scowled and let go of Aang's head, shoving it into the pillar. "Take him away," he said to the guard. "Make sure the healers treat him. I don't want to hear Azula complaining that I damaged her toy."

The guard bowed before taking Aang off the pillar and dragging him out of the room. Meanwhile, Zuko was trying desperately not to vomit. He kept his breathing even, but he couldn't shop the tremor that permeated through his body.

"Get out of my sight," the Firelord ordered with a look of disgust. As he walked back towards the throne, he said, "I expect you to think _hard_ about where exactly your loyalty lies."

Zuko had been complying with his father's order when he froze mid step. He slowly turning back with a frown. "What did you say?"

Ozai sneered. "You seem to be conflicted as to where you think your loyalty should lie. Me... or your uncle. I suggest you find a swift resolution to this conflict. For your own sake."

Zuko only responded with a small nod before he was heading out of the throne room and quickly making his way back to his room.

_My loyalty..._

* * *

_Almost a month after Zuko's unfortunate Agni Kai with his father, General Iroh sudden vanished without a trace. No one knew where he went, let alone why. Azula was celebrating, having always hated the 'lazy, tea-loving kook'. Even Ozai seemed relieved._

_Zuko was not taking the disappearance so well._

_The prince had taken refuge in the garden, not so much because of what his uncle had told him before, but because his family was never there. The garden was always his mother's domain, which he inherited after she disappeared._

_He was curled under the redberry bushes, which were in the far corner of the garden. The bushes were large and thick, making it the perfect hiding place. Here, Zuko didn't have to worry about being found and - more importantly - he can fall apart without being ridiculed by what was left of his family._

_His arms were crossed across his knees, hands fisted. He was minutely rocking back and forth as he sobbed bitterly, anger coursing through him. Why had Iroh left? What was so important that he could just abandon the Fire Nation? Abandon his family? Abandon **him**?_

_Was it something he did? Iroh disappeared so soon after the Agni Kai... maybe he had been ashamed. Everyone knew Iroh favored Zuko, even if he wasn't nearly as gifted as his sister. Maybe his dishonorable behavior in the arena was one shameful act too many. Was Zuko such an obvious failure that Iroh could no longer bare to show himself in public?_

_The anger started to drain out of him at the thought. His uncle had stepped into his mother's place once she disappeared, defending him to Ozai and encouraging him to keep trying. Maybe he was such a failure that Iroh had just... given up._

_Zuko unclenched his hand to reveal the white lotus tile Iroh had given him when he was still in the Healer's Wing. His eyes welled with fresh tears, wishing more than anything that his uncle was still here. How was he going to survive without his uncle to guide him? To create that barrier between him and his father?_

_He closed his fist again, resting his head on his arms. A shaky sigh escaped him as he blinked sluggishly at the wall he was next to. He was going to have to leave at some point. If he was there too long, the servants would start looking for him, and if they found him, he'd end up losing this sanctuary._

_As his tears dried, his vision started to clear. While he was mostly lost in his thoughts, a small carving on the wall caught his attention. At first he thought he imagined it, but when he focused on it, it didn't go away. Frowning slightly, Zuko slowly uncurled himself and crawled towards the wall._

_It was a carving of his name. Zuko's eyebrow quirked up as he wondered why his name would be carved here of all places._

"If you ever feel trapped... or find that your perception of loyalty has changed... I suggest looking for yourself in the gardens. It is an excellent environment for self-reflection."

_Zuko shook his head. His uncle couldn't have possibly meant to **literally** go find himself here. Right? As he traced the characters of his name, he noticed that there was something else underneath his name hidden by the dirt. Curiosity piqued, he pushed the dirt aside, uncovering a circular indent. He could feel smaller indents decorating the inside of the circle, creating some sort of design. It only took him a moment to feel that the pattern matched that of Pai Sho tile clenched tightly in his other hand._

_"What is this...?"_

* * *

Zuko nearly shouted at his servants to leave as he burst into his room. He ripped off his dress robes and armour, throwing them into the corner of his room. Stripped of everything but his underwear, he sat on his bed and buried his head in his hands. He was still shaking, breathing rattled and uneven. When the edges of his vision started to blacken, he closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe slowly.

His father was a cruel man. There was no point in Zuko's life in which he would have denied this fact. The scar on his face served as a daily reminder. But the Firelord was his father: he had disciplinary rights when it came to his children, even if they might seem extreme to some outsiders. Even so, Zuko knew his father was equally cruel with his servants and even his people, if from afar. The fact that he is so willing to send Fire Nation citizens into a battle to be slaughtered demonstrated this. However, Zuko always told himself that while his father's methods were deplorable, they were for the good of the nation in the long run. And if he waited long enough, he'd take the throne and simply use different tasks to achieve ultimately the same goal.

But to actually see his father exercise his cruelty upon a child – a child whom Zuko considered his friend – made him feel so physically ill. His father's monstrous colours were clearly displayed before him, leaving no illusions that his father was anything better. This, along with his father's final statement, seemed to jog a sudden realization in him. While he was still loyal to his nation, he was not loyal to his father. His father clearly had no interest in in the well being in the Fire Nation or its people. And by standing idly by while the Firelord acted against the betterment of the people, Zuko had demonstrated that he was no better than his father. Really, Zuko always knew these things, but his desire for the throne had kept him from fully acknowledging these facts. Unfortunately, it took the brutalization of an innocent kid to drive the point home.

Zuko pulled on his hair as Aang's flogging replayed itself in his mind. He could smell the burning flesh in his room, the crack of the whip echoing in his ears. He clenched his stomach and fell onto his knees, vomiting on the ground. Spitting out the excess bile, he sat up with a stuttering sigh. Tears were running down his face, but he wasn't crying.

Selfishly, he hoped that the flogging had made Aang so out of it that he didn't even notice Zuko's presence. He didn't want Aang to link him to his father's cruelty in any way. If he did, Zuko was sure the trust he had built with the airbender would quickly break down. He didn't know why, but the idea of losing Aang's trust physically made his chest hurt.

He liked Aang. There was no denying it. When it came down to it, Aang was the only friend Zuko's ever had. Which was ridiculous, really, that he considered the boy a friend at all. He barely knew the boy. Sure, they've spent a lot of time together, but they never talked about anything personal. All he knew about the airbender's history was from brief mentions of the Southern Air Temple and a monk named Gyatso who had been his mentor (which Zuko still couldn't figure out how that was even possible). Beyond that, all he knew about Aang was that he liked Pai Sho and took great pleasure from the simpler aspects of life; this was probably a byproduct of being brought up by monks.

That was it. He knew tiny bit about the airbender's origins and bit about his interests. So really, Zuko didn't know Aang at all. How could he be considered a 'friend'?

_"You're not selfish at all."_

Zuko sat stone still, staring at the ceiling with eyes hard with contemplation. The sun was setting, casting a fiery hue upon the Fire Nation prince as he sat against his bed. The only noises to be heard were the faint bustling of working servants somewhere in the distance and the chatter of turtle ducks.

The prince was about to finally find a resolution to the conflict that had been warring inside him for weeks. His heart and mind had led the two fronts of the internal battle, but now they had come to an unexpected conclusion. What he thought was merely emotion was also pragmatism; and what he thought was practical was actually fantasy.

Zuko stiffly stood. He opened one of the drawers of the side table next to his bed and pulled out the catalyst for executing his critical decision: the white lotus tile.

_"I expect you to think **hard** about where exactly your loyalty lies."_

"My loyalty lies with the Fire Nation," Zuko proclaimed. "And that's what I'm going to fight for."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review with any comments or criticisms! :)  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! You have no idea how much they mean to me!  
**

**AN: I'm going to be heading to college soon, so my updates might become less frequent. I have NO intention of abandoning the story. I'm just warning you guys.  
**

**WARNING: This chapter contains sexual abuse.  
**

**Leave a review with any criticisms or comments you may have!  
**

**Enjoy Chapter 4!**

* * *

Aang lay on his stomach as the healers applied some foul smelling concoction on his back. He gripped the edge of the bed tightly, trying to breath through the pain. You'd think that with the amount of experience he's had with these types of wounds, he'd have gotten used to the pain. Or at least be able to shrug it off more easily.

But, no. If anything, it got worse each time. Memories of all his previous beatings would come rushing back, making him feel even more worthless and weak than he already felt.

And that was saying something.

At least when he was in the Healer's Wing, he didn't have to wear his chains or blindfold... or his gag. It was a nice reprieve from having half his senses cut off. In the past, the only times he was ever not in some form of bondage had been when he was performing. Since his recent change in ownership, those times had changed to when he was with Prince Zuko.

Aang flinched slightly. He had heard the prince's voice before the beating started. Aang had spent too many hours focusing on that comforting voice to _not_ recognize it. However, terror still drowned out the meaning of the words being spoken. And once he felt the familiar burn of fire whip, all his awareness of his surroundings refocused onto the pain, past memories flashing before him cruelly. He vaguely remembered being pulled and tossed around a bit, but the next solid memory he had was of his chains being removed here in the Healer's Wing.

"What is going on here!?"

Healers jumped back and bowed at the voice. "Pardon us, Princess," one of them said timidly. "We were just treating the airbender."

Aang's knuckles turned white and his eyes burned with tears as he felt Princess Azula approach. He squeezed his eyes shut, but didn't dare move until he was told otherwise.

There was a beat of silence before he heard the princess screech, "What is this?! Who touched my toy!?"

"Th-the Firelord, Princess," the same healer stuttered. "We apologize profusely if this inconveniences you in any way."

"My father...?" This seemed to placate Azula, much to the relief of everyone in the room. However, Aang's relief was short-lived as she grabbed his hair and pulled his head up. He involuntarily hissed in pain at the strain this put on his back. "Open your eyes, _now_."

Aang obeyed, praying to the spirits that she didn't punish him for not opening his eyes sooner.

A small smile decorated Azula's face as she stroked the airbender's cheek with her other hand. "Aww... did my father have a little _fun_ with you? I imagine it had something to do with Zuzu's summoning..." Her eyes narrowed in twisted glee. "Oh, I would have paid good money to see that." Without releasing her grip on Aang's hair, she turned to the healers and ordered them to find one of the waterbending servants that had healing abilities. "He'll heal much faster and I won't have to be as careful."

The healers bowed as they backed out of the room to comply with her order. When they were gone, Azula returned her attention to her pet. She finally let go of his hair and said, "Sit up."

Aang resisted the urge to rub where his hair had been pulled as slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. He clenched his teeth when a few of the recently treated lashes cracked open, rivulets of blood trailing down his back. The pain seemed to thrum in time with his heart. Swinging his legs forward over the edge of the table, he tried to sit up as straight as he could. His eyes were watering from the pain and fear, but he managed to keep them at bay.

"You know, you've been such a _good_ boy recently, despite my brother's pampering."

She continued to speak and pace in front of him, but all of Aang's concentration was on not falling over and making sure that his eyes never left Azula's face. He had learned the hard way that Azula got very angry if she didn't think you were paying attention to her. Averting his gaze would only result in getting burned: sometimes literally.

"... though I might have to share you with Father now, so I might have to put a stop to your evenings with Zuzu."

The air seemed to get sucked out of Aang's lungs. The prospect of not being able to see the prince again almost too horrible to bare. Prince Zuko was the first person to treat Aang like a human since... well, since before he ran away from the Southern Air Temple. He was ashamed to admit that he would be willing to commit the most degrading of acts in order to be able to keep seeing the prince.

Azula seemed to notice Aang's apprehensive reaction to the statement and laughed. "Oh, don't you worry. I wouldn't really do such a thing. After all, my brother is the only reason you haven't fully broke yet. And I certainly don't want a broken toy."

Aang stiffly nodded, both relieved and terrified at the princess's admittance.

The princess was smiling as she shook her head, obviously amused. "Why so tense? You really should relax." She stepped up in front of him, her icy gaze never leaving his face. "Spread your legs."

Aang shivered. A portion of his mind started to shut down as he did as he was told. He twitched when she placed a hand over his groin and fondled him through his pants. He let out an involuntary moan as his groin started to harden from the attention. The pleasure that warmed his stomach warred with the familiar feeling of utter disgust that started to consume him. While his eyes never left Azula's face, his vision began to blur as his grip on reality started to slip.

Azula gripped his chin with a scowl, nails digging into his jaw. "Nah, ah, ah! Don't you dare check out on me! You're going to stay here and you're going to _like_ it. You should be grateful that I'm not blindfolding you."

Aang's heart pounded in panic at the thought of being blinded. If there was anything he feared more than her actions, it was having the ability to foresee her actions taken away. He blinked rapidly, trying to keep his focus in the here and now. "Thank you, Princess Azula," he said softly, trying to appease her.

She smiled and nodded. "Good." She stuck her hand down his pants and gripped his member tightly, rubbing him with more vigor than before. Aang whimpered and panted, hips involuntarily jerking into her hand. Her grip was painful, but his arousal stayed strong regardless.

"Ohh... eager, aren't you?" Azula teased. She stopped stroking him, instead, opting to clamp his balls in a vice-like grip. Aang cried out in pain, a sheet of sweat coating him as he trembled. "Now... _why_ are you eager?"

The pain from her grip mixed with Aang's arousal, nauseating him. He wanted to vomit, but knew he couldn't least he wanted a severe punishment. He concentrated on her question, knowing what the princess wanted from him. He absolutely hated this and always prayed for the strength to refuse her expectations. However, as always, the sickening mixture of pain and pressure overrode his pride and stole away any strength he may have had at some previous point. "B-because I'm y-your whore..." he panted out.

"Hmm..." She released his balls and started pumping him again, but took a painfully slow pace. "And why is that?"

The airbender's eyes filled with tears as his insides shrivelled in shame. "Air... N-Nomads were..." He whimpered in earnest. Even though he's said it at least a hundred times before, it never got easier. "... were w-weak..."

"That's right," Azula sneered. She squeezed him even harder as she finally increased her pace, making sure his pain kept up with the increased pleasure. "And as a representative of your extinct people, it's your duty to demonstrate the Air Nomad patheticness."

Aang gasped and cried out when he unwillingly reached his climax, spilling his seed into the princess's hand. He panted and trembled, keeping a hand on the table to ensure he didn't fall with the post-climactic exhaustion.

With a chuckle, Azula wiped her hand off on the airbender's face. Stepping back, she admired her handiwork."I wonder what the monks would think of you now, knowing how much you get off on their demise."

She had already been wet, but the utter look of devastation on the airbender's come-covered face only increased her arousal. She finally had to leave, needing to find a place where she could completely satisfy herself.

Aang stayed completely frozen, save his trembling. It was only when he was sure Azula was gone that he let himself fall apart. He hastily wiped the come off his face, feeling dirtier than ever before. Laying on his side, he curled into himself, not bothering to suppress the sobs that were erupting from his throat. He didn't even notice the blood that had started to pool underneath him as he sobbed and clawed at his face in shame. Closing his eyes, Aang silently begged his people for forgiveness, even though he knew they never would have given it to him.

* * *

The waterbender healers were more gentle than those who had worked at the circus. They had always handled him like a piece of rotten meat, not caring for the amount of pain or scarring they caused as they healed him. These benders, on the other hand, were almost motherly as they positioned Aang on his stomach, making sure he was comfortable before beginning to heal him. Even so, it made him wary. Usually people only treated him nicely if they wanted something from him. Or if they wanted to mess with him. So far, Prince Zuko had been the only one to break that pattern.

By the end of the hour-long healing session, Aang was mostly healed. The burns were gone, replaced with new pink skin, and the lashes were closed. His back would probably still be stiff and sore for a few days, but at least there was no chance of infection. They gave him a fresh pair of pants and handed him over to the guards.

Thankfully, Azula had not asked for him, so the guards chained him up and took him back to the stables. They gave him a thin soup and glass of water before putting his gag and blindfold back on and shoving him into his small cage. Aang felt the guards shutting his wrists and ankles into the shackles that were welded to the bars, forcing him into his usual kneeling position.

Aang allowed himself to relax once the guards left. Besides the time spent with Prince Zuko, his time alone in his cage was his favorite. It had been since he was in the circus. The cage had become a sort of sanctuary in his mind. When he was in his cage, no one bugged him. There was no pain or manipulation. He was blissfully alone with nothing but his own thoughts. Sometimes his thoughts turned against him, but that was still preferable to what happened _outside_ the cage. In the circus, being taken out of his cage meant being punished or being forced to perform. Here, at the royal palace, being taken out of his cage usually meant he had to service someone or be subject to Princess Azula's games.

Usually.

The nights with Prince Zuko were a double-edged sword. While the nights in of themselves were fantastic, hoping he would be taken to the prince's room would always make him feel wretched when he found himself swallowing some guard's cock or coming face-to-face with with princess. Hoping had replaced being prepared for whatever horrors awaited him outside his cage. The monks had always said that hope was a distraction, and his time at the palace had proved them right.

But try as he might, he couldn't control his emotions. Maybe in the past, before he had been reduced to pathetic and worthless mess, he would have been able to. However, after years of abuse and degradation, his subconscious had clung to the prince's kindness like a starving monkey spider to a fly. Even when his hopes were gutted again and again, those few times he actually did find himself in Prince Zuko's arms kept his hope alive.

Aang could feel unconsciousness creeping over him. The stress of the days events on his body and psyche were catching up to him. Having gotten used to the cramped kneeling position long ago, he was easily able to allow his body to relax. If Azula wanted him tonight, it would be best for him to get as much rest as he could now so not to make any mistakes that might anger her. If Prince Zuko wanted him tonight, than Aang wanted to be as awake and aware as possible so he could soak up as many conscious moments with him as possible.

Aang didn't even noticed that he had actually fallen asleep until the sound of footsteps woke him up. Apprehension curled in his stomach as footsteps got closer. Would he be spending the night with Azula... or Prince Zuko.

The guard unlocked his cage and shackles, pulling him out with more care than Aang was used to. He put his hands in front of him, waiting for his chains to be snapped on. However, instead of cold metal, a calloused hand gently gripped his wrist. Aang's anxiety shot up as confusion started to set in. What was going on? Even if this was just a guard who wanted to get his rocks off, he would have lead Aang to a more secluded portion of the palace. He jerked in surprise when he felt his gag loosen.

"Shh, Aang... It's me..."

The airbender froze, his apprehension quickly transforming into complete disbelief. _It couldn't be..._

His gag was removed and his blindfold pulled off. He worked his jaw and blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision so he could confirm the identity of the newcomer's voice.

Though, even when he confirmed it, he still didn't believe it.

Usually when Aang found himself face-to-face with the prince, he would launch himself into his arms, seeking the overly warm body heat that many firebenders possessed. However, in this moment, Aang found himself frozen with shock. His brain was unable to process anything beyond the the pair of golden eyes that shimmered in the evening twilight.

This turned out not be an issue, as Prince Zuko almost immediately wrapped his arms around the Aang's shoulders. "I'm so glad you're okay," Zuko mumbled into his hair.

Aang instinctively wrapped his arms around Zuko's waist, allowing his anxiety to melt into relief. He could feel Zuko thread his fingers through his hair and he couldn't help but feel comforted and safe. "What... what are you doing here...?" Aang asked quietly, feeling like he was in a dream.

There was a beat of silence before Zuko released Aang from his embrace and held him at arms length. "We're leaving this place."

Okay, it was official. Aang hadn't woken up; he was still dreaming. Not only had the Fire Nation prince come to collect him, but he was offering an escape. An escape _with_ him. This would never happen in the waking world, Aang was sure of that. Dreaming was the only reasonable explanation.

But he could still feel the ache on his back and the warmth of Zuko's hands on his shoulders. These were sensations he wouldn't normally be so aware of in his dreamstate. But it _couldn't_ be real. It made no sense. Unless Aang misunderstood Zuko's statement.

However, the prince wasn't going to give him time to think through it. Without another word, Zuko gently pulled Aang to his feet and led him out of the stables. Zuko took a fast pace through unfamiliar halls, though Aang was usually blindfolded so most of the palace would probably be unrecognizable to him. He did notice that Zuko was deliberately avoiding the guards and palace staff. Whatever the prince was planning, he obviously didn't want anybody to know about it. The airbender thought back to earlier, when he was sure he had heard Zuko's voice during his beating. Was he in trouble? Is that why he was trying to run away?

The airbender felt an uncomfortable pit formed in his stomach. Did _he_ get Zuko in trouble?

Zuko only slowed down once they reached a garden. The various plants and stone walkways were barely visible in the crescent moonlight, but the prince seemed to have no problem navigating his way through. Aang half wished he could stay and appreciate the garden's serenity, but it was obvious that whatever Zuko was trying to do, it was urgent.

When they reached the far side of the garden, Zuko let go of Aang's hand so he could pull back the bottom branches of a giant berry bush. "Go in," he whispered.

The strange request caught Aang off guard, but didn't question it. It was just more evidence to solidify his belief that this was all just a bizarre dream.

Zuko came in behind him, a small flame in his hand illuminating the under brush. Aang frowned when he saw that a burgundy bag and dao sword had been slung across Zuko's back. Had he been carrying those with him the whole time?

"Everything's going to be okay."

Aang looked back up to the firebender's face. His expression was hard with some conviction, but his voice was soft and reassuring. Aang could only nod in response, too overwhelmed to actually say anything.

Zuko smiled before extinguishing his flame. Aang sucked in a quick breath, momentarily panicked at the sudden darkness. But then he felt a strong arm wrap around him, pulling him in so his back was leaning against a broad chest. Aang sighed as he felt his anxiety being kept at bay. He grasped Zuko's hand, which was resting on his side, and squeezed it for reassurance.

He felt Zuko lean forward, and small clacking noises echoed in his ears. A moment later, there was a much louder sound of stone rubbing against stone, the ground beginning to shake underneath them. Aang flinched and stiffened but Zuko just tightened his grip on Aang's middle, calming him back down.

By the time the noise and shaking stopped, Aang's eyes had adjusted a little to the small amount of moonlight that made it through the bush's branches. It wasn't much, but it was enough for him to see that the wall in front of them had opened up, leading to an even darker location. Presumably underground.

Zuko started to crawl forward through the opening, leaving Aang with no choice but to follow. Aang's limbs start to tremble at the thought of being underground. As an airbender, his natural setting was in the sky, not underneath tons of dirt and rock. He knew it was paranoid thinking, but when he was underground, he always felt like he was being buried alive.

But he was with Zuko. And if they were really trying to escape the Fire Nation Palace, what choice did he have?

Once they were all the way in, Zuko placed Aang down against the side of the cave. "Wait here."

Aang wanted to protest, but Zuko had already gone. The sound of grinding stone told him that Zuko was pushing the stone door back into place. Aang could feel himself getting lightheaded as the stone door was fully closed and they were plunged into total darkness.

"Aang?" He felt a pair of hands on his shoulders again. "Aang, calm down! Breathe."

_I **am** breathing!_ the airbender thought to himself, but he knew his breaths were too shallow and too quick. He tried to take deeper breaths in an attempt to slow them down, but it just seemed to make him dizzier. He leaned forward, resting his head on Zuko's chest. Zuko responded by wrapping his arms around him, continuing to mutter softly, "It's okay, you're safe... just breathe slowly..."

The comforting smell of ash and fire lilies started to permeate around Aang, calming his tremors and making it easier to breath. "That's it... you're okay..." Zuko rearranged them so that he was leaning against the cave wall and Aang was curled against his side. As Aang's breathing returned to normal, Zuko's muttered reassurances tampered off, leaving them in a slightly ominous silence.

Finally, placing a hand on Aang's shoulder, Zuko said, "We should get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be an interesting day."

Aang clenched his fist into the fabric on Zuko's chest. "I don't wanna go to sleep," he said softly, his words muffled in the nook of the prince's shoulder.

Zuko rubbed his arm up and down Aang's arm. "You should."

Aang shook his head, burying his face unnecessarily into Zuko's chest. "I don't wanna wake up from this."

He felt Zuko's hand pause at his shoulder. "Wake up from what?"

Aang let out a breath laugh. "It's been a strange dream... but I like the idea of it."

Zuko stiffened underneath him. "Aang... this isn't a dream."

Aang just shrugged, mildly amused that his own dream was denying itself. Turning so he was fully on his side, he pressed himself as tightly as he could against the prince's side. "'Night, Zuko."

There was a beat of silence before the reply came. "Goodnight, Aang..."

The airbender forced his body to relax in the prince's arms, allowing the comforting warmth and scent pervade his senses. Dream or not, he was going to try and fully enjoy Zuko's presence for as long as he could.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review with any comments or criticisms! :)  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! You have no idea how much they mean to me!  
**

**Hey guys! As expected, college has greatly reduced my update rate. But don't worry! I WILL continue to update. There will be no abandoning of this fic :)**

**Leave a review with any criticisms or comments you may have!  
**

**Enjoy Chapter 4!**

* * *

Zuko could hardly believe what he was doing. Yes, he had made the decision that it would be in the best interest of the Fire Nation if his father was overthrown. In addition, he knew that if he wanted to help accomplish this, he had to leave the Fire Nation. However, these concepts didn't calm his nerves_ at all_. He had essentially broke Aang out and escaped the palace. By morning, he whole palace will have realized what had happened. No doubt his father and sister will both be furious, though for very different reasons. His father will probably send out teams to retrieve him. Azula, on the other hand, will probably try and find him herself, if just to kill him for stealing her 'toy'. This meant they either had to lay low or get out of the Fire Nation as quick as possible. In all honesty, he was hoping they'd be able to quickly escape the Fire Nation _while_ staying low. However, between his scar and Aang's tattoos, they were easily identifiable. Even if his scar wasn't public knowledge, it would be soon enough if his family was looking for him.

Zuko tried to rearrange his hair and see if he could sufficient cover his face. It was hard to tell in the dark, but he imagined his was long enough. He also had his cloak for added cover if needed.

Now they just needed a way to hide Aang's tattoo's.

The firebender looked down where Aang was sleeping beside him, even though he couldn't see him in the absolute dark. He could feel the airbender's body press against his side, an arm flung across his chest. Aang occasionally moaned or shifted sharply as nightmares tormented him, but Zuko would calm him with a tightened grip and a few hushed words.

He was reluctant to rouse the airbender, but knew it was daybreak and that they needed to get moving. They were going to need food and water, but there were also other supplies that they might need. He would go by himself, but he didn't want to leave Aang to wake up alone, in an unfamiliar cave, with no light source. Zuko could only imagine what effect that would have on Aang's fragile mental state.

He made a small flame in his hand, wincing slightly at the sudden light, and took a moment to look at Aang's serene features. Feeling doubly guilty, he gently shook the airbender's shoulder. "Aang... Aang, wake up."

Aang moaned and stretched, his eyes blinking open. They wandered blurrily for a moment before focusing on Zuko's face. Then he gave a small smile, which the firebender happily returned. "Sorry to wake you," Zuko said quietly, "but we need to get some supplies and I didn't want to leave you alone in here to get them."

Aang looked confused, though his smile still lingered. Then, as he took in their surroundings, his smile faded and he started to panic. "_What?_" he said breathlessly. "Nononono, that wasn't _real_..."

Hoping to prevent a full blown panic attack, Zuko gripped Aang's shoulders and turned him harshly so they faced each other. "Aang, look at me!"

Aang's mouth continued to move in a silent rant, but the firebender's tight grip seemed to keep him grounded and his mouth eventually stilled, his breathing evening out. Clearly overwhelmed, tears started to gather in his eyes as he asked tentatively, "It was real? You left... for real?"

Zuko nodded, worry and a little bit of dread forming in his stomach. While he hadn't known how Aang was going to react to their running away from the palace, he hadn't been expecting panic or fear. Confusion and doubt, sure. Maybe even relief. However, judging from the trembling and hyperventilation, the airbender seemed to be far from relieved. "Yeah... _we_left."

Aang bent forward, burying his face in his hands. He took a few deep breathes, rubbing the heel of his palms against his temples. Then, with a deep sigh, he sat back up with an almost pained expression. "Why did you leave?"

The firebender turned his head away. Having to look into Aang's expressive eyes literally made his chest hurt. "The Fire Nation needs its prince. I had always thought that the best way to do that was to wait until I could take the throne after my father passed. However, to accomplish that, I had to be a different person. A person who couldn't serve my people properly."

He turned back towards Aang, but kept his eyes downcast. "Also..." he added quietly, "I had to get you out of there. But I couldn't just throw you out of the palace. My sister would have found you and made you suffer even more for it." Zuko finally allowed his eyes to meet the airbender's. His heart clenched at the sight of those tear-filled, stormy eyes. "We're going to go to the Earth Kingdom, we're going to find my uncle, and and we're going to help him take my father down." He placed a hand on Aang's shoulder. "I'm going to protect you. And I'm going to help you get better."

For several long moments, the airbender just stared at him, blinking rapidly. He seemed to be thinking over Zuko's words. Weighing them. Analyzing them. Then, he slowly nodded, a small smile creeping back onto his face. He still looked uncertain, but he was apparently willing to trust Zuko. That thought made the firebender smile.

"Alright, then." Zuko stood and held his flame up, looking down the tunnel. "There are several exits between here and the coast. We should walk for a bit, but see if we can buy some supplies from one of the villages at the base of the volcano."

They walked in comfortable silence down the tunnel. Zuko made sure to keep track of where they were so they didn't over or undershoot the villages. When he was younger, he would explore the smaller tunnels that branched off from the main, figuring out where each of them led. Upon discovering what was around the exits, he would grab a stone and burn a pattern that indicated the local landmarks. There weren't that many exits; maybe a dozen or so. But he couldn't be too careful.

When they arrived at the appropriate exit, they had only one last problem to solve before leaving: hiding their identity. Zuko let his hair down, tying it back up in a more modest topknot. He also made sure to leave enough hair down so that it mostly obscured his scar.

Meanwhile, Aang had been looking at his arms. He looked up at Zuko's chest for a moment before asking, "Can I use that sash?"

Zuko nodded, untying it from his waist. "Sure. But I don't think this will cover your tattoos."

"Maybe not all of them..." Aang took the sash with both hands and brought it up to his forehead. "If I can cover this, my other arrows can be easily hidden with jacket or something." He tied the sash like a headband and thrust his arms out in show. "See? With this and my hair, I'm practically a normal kid!"

Zuko chuckled. "You're hardly a kid..." He gave Aang his cloak. "This should work for your arms."

It was a bit too big for the airbender, so it easily covered even his hands. He just hoped his hair would be sufficient to hide his scar.

The exit from the tunnel was concealed on the outside by several large boulders. They were at the foot of the volcano, surrounded by a field of fire lilies. After their eyes had adjusted, a huge grin appeared on Aang's face and he started to run through the sea of red and green. He took a few airbender leaps, the lilies bending to the waves of air that were being blasted from Aang's hands.

At first, Zuko was startled by Aang's sudden behavior. He quickly looked to make sure no one was around to see Aang airbending. In all honesty, he should have just told him to stop. It was too risky and it could blow their cover. But watching Aang practically prance around the field, Zuko realized had never before seen Aang look so _happy_. Sure, he had made the airbender smile a few times, but those were always in times of contentment. This sheer joy was new. Though, air was supposed to be the element of freedom. And Aang hadn't had a lick of freedom for the last several years. Knowing their new status as fugitives was going to be very restrictive, the firebender was content allowing Aang to experience this freedom while he still could.

Finally, Aang collapsed on the ground, disappearing into the fire lilies. Zuko ran up to find Aang smiling widely at him. "Lay down with me!" he said excitedly. "The lilies smell great! It's surprisingly relaxing..."

Zuko gave a half-smile. "We really should get some supplies from the village first. We'll be less noticeable if we're there during the busier part of the day. We can relax a little later, if you'd like."

While he looked a little disappointed, Aang's smile didn't disappear. He just nodded and airbent himself into a standing position. Then, without prompting, he wrapped his arms around Zuko's shoulders. Zuko grunted at the unexpected hug, but gladly returned the embrace.

"Thank you... for everything, Zuko..." Aang mumbled into the nook of Zuko's neck.

Zuko smiled and squeezed Aang tighter. "You don't have to thank me. I _wanted_ to do this."

Slowly, Aang removed himself from the embrace. Tears brimmed his eyes, but with a few blinks they were gone, his smile still plastered to his face. Zuko couldn't help but smile even wider, feeling giddier than he should that Aang was so happy. Grasping Aang's hand, he tugged him in the direction of the village. "Let's go."

* * *

Their trip to the village was, thankfully, uneventful. Zuko at least had the foresight to take some money with him when leaving the palace, so procuring supplies was relatively easy. They bought some clothes for Aang to wear in addition to some bandages, which they were going to wrap his hands (and possibly arms) with. They got enough fruit and dried meat to last them at least a couple days, which Zuko hoped would be all the time they needed to figure out a way to get to the Earth Kingdom.

When they got back to the field, they put their supplies down by the boulders and, by Aang's insistence, laid among the lilies. Under normal circumstances, Zuko would have balked at the idea of idling in a bunch of flowers. However, feeling an impending storm heading their way, he found it wasn't hard to appreciate the peace that it seemed to bring both of them. Not long after they settled on the ground had Aang fallen asleep, head resting on Zuko's shoulder. The firebender gripped the cloak Aang wore and pulled over so it protected him from the the chilly wind. Zuko allowed himself to close his eyes. He stayed alert, listening for any passerby that might discover them.

"Zuko?"

Zuko opened his eyes to find that the sky had turned into a dark myriad of warm colours. He hadn't realized they had been laying there for so long. "Yeah, Aang?"

"I was wondering..." He paused.

Zuko adjusted his head so he could look down at the airbender. Aang was staring at his fingers, which were fiddling with the folds of Zuko's tunic. "Yes?" he egged on.

Aang stopped fiddling and looked up at him. "Your uncle is the Firelord's brother?"

Zuko frowned, confused as to where this was coming from. "Yes..."

"And he's... older...? Than your father?"

Ah. Now he could see where Aang was going with this. "Yes."

"So... why isn't your uncle the Firelord?"

Zuko shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. Firelord Azulon apparently wrote in his will that he wanted my father to take the throne." He shook his head. "I don't really believe that, since Azulon had specifically said that he wasn't going to take my uncle's birthright away."

Aang nodded, but still looked confused. After a few moments of silence, he asked, "How did Firelord Azulon die?"

While it seemed like an innocent enough question, it made Zuko's stomach twisted uncomfortably. While he had spent countless hours thinking about that night, he still didn't like talking about it. "He died in his sleep," he said flatly. That was the official cause of death, even though those who resided and served in the palace knew differently.

This answer seemed to satisfy Aang, as he nodded and remained silent. The peace from before having been broken, Zuko let out a sigh and sat up, causing Aang to do the same. "We should go back into the tunnel."

Aang bit his lip. "Do we have to?"

Zuko nodded. "It's too easy for someone to find us if we stay out in the open. No one knows about the tunnel, so it's the safest place for us to hide." When the airbender started to fidget, staring at the boulders with trepidation, he said, "You don't like being underground, do you?"

For a moment, Aang hesitated, but then he nodded with an almost feverish fervor. "I know it's stupid... but I always feel like the earth is going to collapse in on me."

Zuko sighed. As much as he didn't want to force Aang into a place where he didn't feel safe, it was the only place where he was sure they wouldn't be found. And the last thing he wanted was for Aang to have to face the wrath of his sister. "I'm sorry..." he said. "But we don't have another other choice."

Aang closed his eyes and nodded. "I know." He took a couple of deep breathes. "I'll be okay."

While Zuko was pushing away the large stones which hid their tunnel, Aang started munching on a pear apple, blowing the bits of peel away with his airbending. Zuko was going to ask how he was still hungry, as Aang had eaten quite a bit earlier. Then he realized that Aang was probably just distracting himself from the inevitable re-entry into the underground.

"You ready?" Zuko asked, picking up one of their bags of supplies.

The pear apple core was thrown across the field, disappearing from sight before finishing it's journey. Aang grabbed the other bag, took a deep breath, and walked into the tunnel without even a glance in Zuko's direction.

A little taken back by Aang's sudden behavior, Zuko quickly followed, taking only a moment to make sure the tunnel entrance was closed and hidden.

Creating a flame in the palm of his hand, he didn't have to go far to find Aang. He was doubled over, a hand on the wall for support, panting heavily.

"Aang!" Zuko dropped his bag and gripped the airbender's shoulder. "Sit down! _Breathe_."

Aang's fingers dug into the moist dirt as he slowly slide down into a curled, sitting position. Knowing that Aang was going to pass out any second, Zuko forced Aang to sit up, leaning him against the wall. "Slowly, Aang. Breathe slowly..." He grasped one of the airbender's hands and placed it against his chest. "Just do what I'm doing." He made purposefully slow breathes, exaggerating the movement of his chest. He felt a little ridiculous doing it, but he saw that it was working and didn't care.

While his breaths slowed, they didn't shallow. Gulping between a few of his breathes, Aang managed to wheeze out, "I... forgot... that there no lights..."

Zuko had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He didn't know why he thought it was funny. The statement just seemed... amusing to him. Especially paired with the image of Aang confidently walking into the tunnel only to stop to realize he couldn't see. However, Aang's obvious distress was _not_ amusing, so Zuko easily stifled his chuckles. "Well, I'm here. I've got light, and we're safe."

Aang gripped Zuko's wrist, bringing the hand that held the flame closer to him. "Thank you," he said quietly.

Zuko shrugged. "Making light is easy. I bet you won't be thanking me a week from now when you see my crappy survivor skills."

Aang smiled. "No, I'll still be thanking you. I'm sure I'll be thanking you for a long time."

Zuko shifted uncomfortably. The conversation had suddenly become very awkward. Mostly because he had no idea sure what to say in response. After several seconds of silence, he coughed in his hand, mumbling something about needing to sleep, and sat down next to Aang. "I'll stay up until you're asleep so you don't have to be in the dark."

Aang nodded, adjusting himself so his head was resting on Zuko's thigh. "You smell nice..." he muttered.

"Really?" Placing a hand on Aang's shoulder, Zuko leaned his head back against the wall. "I haven't bathed in over a day. I figured I'd be gross by now."

"No..." The airbender was nuzzling into the firebender's thigh, inhaling deeply. "It's nice... calming..."

A little confused, but grateful that Aang felt comfortable, Zuko allowed himself to relax against the dirt wall. It wasn't long after that Aang's breathes evened and he fell asleep. However, Zuko didn't extinguish the flame. Instead, he stared at the peaceful expression of his charge, feeling ridiculously happy that he had helped put that expression there.

He absentmindedly rubbed his hand up and down Aang's arm as he thought about the coming days and weeks. "Today was good," he said to himself. "Today was _easy_." He let out a sigh. "It's going to be much harder from here on in."

Somehow, with a certain airbender by his side, that notion wasn't so daunting.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review with any comments or criticisms! :)  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! You have no idea how much they mean to me!  
**

**This chapter was... interesting to write. I'm curious to see what you guys think. **

**Remember to leave a review with any criticisms or comments you may have!**

**Enjoy Chapter 7!**

* * *

It took another couple of days of walking to reach the shore. Normally, it would have taken less than a day to walk that distance. However, Aang's stamina was surprisingly low so they took a slow pace and had to take several breaks throughout the day. Zuko suspected that Aang's body was still recovering from the beating the Firelord had given him, even though waterbenders had apparently already healed him.

In a way, Zuko was glad that the short journey took longer than expected. In the safety of the tunnels, they were free to act and speak as they wished. While Aang was still claustrophobic, he still seemed to feel safe enough to act freely. As the airbender started to relax more and more, Zuko started to learn more about his quirks, his personality... even a little more of his life before the circus.

They had been discussing ways for them to get to the Earth Kingdom. The most obvious solution was to buy a spot on one of the transport ships that carry families over to the colonies. However, Zuko quickly discounted this as an option. While they were getting more food from one of the villages, Zuko had overheard a couple of men talking. Just a few hours earlier, a messenger from the capital had come and informed them about the ongoing search two fugitives; one with a burn scar over his left eye and the other bearing blue tattoos. Apparently, a rather hefty reward was offered up in exchange for their capture. If these outskirt villages were put on alert for them, then the port definitely was. This meant that it would be nearly impossible for them to get on a ship and sail across the ocean without being discovered.

Aang sighed at this realization. "If only we had a sky bison..." he mumbled.

Zuko frowned. "A _what_?"

Aang perked up. "Sky bison! They're the original airbenders. All Air Nomads have a sky bison that is their lifelong partner. They can travel for over a hundred miles before needing to rest. So... if we had a sky bison, we could have just flown over the ocean!"

The firebender could only manage a half-smile. While Aang's enthusiasm was infectious, Zuko couldn't help but think about the fact that all of the sky bison were probably wiped with along with the Air Nomads.

Evidently, Aang couldn't keep his positive demeanor up either. After a few moments of silence, he mumbled, "Appa could have gotten us there..."

While Zuko tried to avoid asking Aang questions that might upset him, his curiosity was piqued. "Was Appa your sky bison?"

The airbender wrapped his arms around himself and nodded. "Yeah... he was my best friend."

Suddenly, Aang stopped in his tracks. When Zuko turned to face him, he found Aang staring at the ground, fists clenched at his sides. "Aang? You okay?" The airbender looked up with tears in his eyes, but he had a foreign expression on his face that seemed so out of place, it took a moment for Zuko to be able to identify it.

"They killed him..." Aang's voice started out quiet, thick with emotion. But as he continued, his voice started to increase in volume. "Appa was better than any person I had ever met...! He hadn't done anything wrong! He was just trying to - !" Aang stopped, his tears of anger now silently trailing down his face.

Without another word, Zuko wrapped his arms around the distraught airbender, careful not to bring his flame to close. At first, he was going to say something along the lines of _I'm sorry_, but realized it would be an empty phrase, as would any other seemingly comforting statement. He thought about what it must be like; losing someone you thought of as your best friend. Zuko thought it would probably be similar to when his mother, or his uncle, had left without so much as a goodbye. He tightened his embrace at the thought.

Eventually, Aang pulled away from the embrace, hastily wiping his tears off his face. "I'm sorry..." he said, keep his eyes averted.

"It's okay," Zuko said. "I don't see anything wrong with being upset." Aang just nodded silently.

By the time they had finally arrived at the coast, they had a tentative plan for getting across the water. Basically, it involved them fully embracing their new fugitive status.

They were crouching behind a lookout tower, trying to find a ship that would serve their needs. This actually took longer than Zuko anticipated, as they were all either passenger ships or too small for his comfort.

Eventually, "What about that one?" Aang asked.

Zuko looked to where Aang was pointing. A huge cargo ship had entered the bay and was heading toward the dock. It was probably one of the ships that supplied the colonies with Fire Nation goods. Zuko smiled. "Perfect."

Tattoos wrapped and scar hidden, they blended into the mass of families that were boarding a nearby passenger ship. When they neared the cargo ship, Zuko grabbed Aang's sleeve and pulled him out of the crowd. Keeping an eye out for any ship hands, they weaved their way through the large crates. When they arrived at the ramp that led into the cargo bay, Zuko sucked in a deep breath. _This is it. No turning back now._Blowing out his breath in a long sigh, the firebender looked to either side, making sure there were no personnel nearby. Seeing none, he whispered, "Let's go," and pulled Aang with him as he ran up the ramp.

Their plan was simple. Ridiculously simple. Hide amongst the cargo, avoid the crew, steal enough food and water to survive the two-week journey, and once they arrived at the Earth Kingdom's shores, get off the ship without being detected.

Even with its simplicity, Zuko was pretty confident in this plan. In a cargo ship such as this one, the ratio of crew to cargo was minimal. He was confident enough in his senses and in his ability to move covertly that avoiding the crew would be an easy enough task. Stealing food and water would be a bit tricker, but together, he was certain he and Aang were smart enough to pull it off successfully.

The duo found a relatively isolated corner of the cargo bay to hold down. The crates around them were more than large enough to visually hide them, but it also had a way out if they heard anybody coming. Hours later, when it was done being resupplied, the ship cast off from the port, heading through its route back to the Earth Kingdom colonies.

Feeling more at ease that their plan was working so far, they placed their belongings on the ground and sat against one of the crates. Zuko took a quick visual inventory of the supplies they had.

"We probably have enough food to last a couple days," he said quietly, hoping his voice wasn't echoing. "Our first priority is to get water."

Aang just nodded, eyes transfixed on the Dao sword Zuko had just placed on the ground. He leaned forward and traced the intricate design carved into the sheath. "Are these dragons?" Aang asked.

Zuko gave a small grunt in the affirmative. "My uncle had this made for me for my twelfth birthday. While dragons were generally regarded as just tools for proving your strength, he taught me that dragons should be respected and honored. They were the original firebenders, after all." Zuko chuckled. "Which is ironic, considering my uncled killed the last of the dragons."

Aang's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "What? You mean there aren't any more dragons?"

Zuko frowned. He had assumed that it was common knowledge that the glory-seeking hunts had driven them into extinction. "Yeah... they've been extinct for decades now." His frown deepened when Aang's look of utter disbelief didn't go away. "I don't understand... why are you so surprised?"

Aang opened his mouth, about to respond, but almost immediately shut his mouth again. He sat there in silence for several long minutes before finally letting out a long sigh. "Zuko... there's something I need to talk to you about."

More confused than ever, Zuko turned so that he was fully facing the young airbender. "What's that?"

The firebender patiently waited as Aang mustered up the courage to speak. Finally, in a barely audible voice, Aang said, "Do you... remember how the ringleader introduced me?"

It took a moment for Zuko to realize who Aang was even referring to. And when he did, he could only shake his head. "I only remember him proclaiming that you were the last airbender."

Aang slowly nodded. He took a few deep breathes, his body shuddering. "He... also mentioned something else..." When Zuko didn't say anything, the airbender closed his eyes with a nod. "I'm over a hundred years old."

Before he could stop himself, a bark of laughter escaped Zuko. The thought of Aang being over a century old was just so _ridiculous_that he couldn't help but be amused.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me..."

All feelings of amusement quickly evaporated when Zuko saw the look of disappointment and despair on his companion's face. "I'm sorry...!" Zuko said a little too quickly. "I didn't mean to make fun of you or anything... it just... sounds so ridiculous."

Aang looked away, but not before Zuko caught a glimpse of tears in his eyes. "It's fine," he said curtly. "Forget I said anything."

The firebender silently cursed himself. Obviously, Aang had wanted to share something deeply personal and Zuko had essentially laughed at his effort. He placed his hands on Aang's shoulder, trying to make the airbender face him. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "It's just... a confusing statement. I mean... looking at you, you can't be older than fifteen. _Maybe_sixteen." When Aang remained silent, Zuko placed a hand on Aang's cheek and gently coaxed his head up. "Hey... look at me, please?"

The airbender's lower jaw was trembling and for a moment he did nothing. Finally, Aang hesitantly raised his eyes to meet Zuko's. For some reason, looking into the firebender's eyes just seemed to make him more upset and his tears started spilling over. "I'm sorry," Aang mumbled breathlessly.

Zuko shook his head. "Trust me. You have nothing to be sorry for. I just want you to know... that you can always talk to me. No matter what. And if I'm being a jerk about it, then you have my permission to hit me." Aang chuckled, which made Zuko smile. "Okay?"

Aang stared at him for a few seconds before slowly nodding his head. "I was frozen."

Zuko frowned at the seemingly random statement. "What?"

Aang visible gulped before responding. "People from the Southern Water Tribe found me... frozen in an iceberg." He paused, looking uncertain in what he was about to say. "I didn't know for a while... but I was frozen for about a hundred years..." Tears welled in his eyes anew. "I didn't know my people were gone."

As Zuko absentmindedly wiped at Aang's tear-streaks with his thumb, he tried to piece together what Aang was saying. Then, thinking back to all of the confounding statements Aang had made before in reference to his people and his previous life... it suddenly made sense. It wasn't that there were airbenders living in the Southern Air Temple and they were somehow able to avoid Fire Nation detection. It wasn't that some extraneous family of airbenders managed to escape the Fire Nation all these years, eventually resulting in Aang's birth. It was that Aang's childhood occurred _before_the war began. And somehow... he had become trapped in ice, effectively hiding him from the world for a century.

Zuko had heard stories of creatures frozen in ice coming back to life after being thawed. But he had always assumed they were just that: stories.

"I believe you." Zuko reassured. "But... how did you end up frozen in ice?"

Aang shrugged, once again averting his gaze. "Last I remember, Appa and I fell into the ocean... Next I knew, I was looking up at a bunch of Water Tribe merchants."

_Water Tribe merchants..._The more Zuko heard, the more he wanted to ask questions. How did he end up in a Fire Nation circus? How on earth did a sky bison and an airbender end up falling into the ocean? He knew that, as an Air Nomad, Aang probably did a lot of travelling. However, he had a pretty strong feeling that Aang wasn't merely travelling when this occurred. Seeing that Aang obviously didn't want to talk about it any further, the firebender mustered up all his self-control to keep himself from prying.

"I'm glad you told me..." Zuko smiled. "I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me."

Aang allowed himself a small smile, minutely leaning into the warmth of Zuko's hand. "Thank you for believing me."

Zuko chuckled. "Trust me, Aang. It's no problem."

* * *

Once they found a rhythm to living upon the cargo ship, their days had become immensely boring. They had two timeslots of the day to keep track of. These were when most of the crew was having a meal, and there was virtually no one around to catch them stealing food or water.

Beyond that, they had virtually _nothing_to do. They would occasionally practice their bending, but they usually stopped before really getting into their routines because they feared they were making too much noise.

They would have hushed conversations, but since neither of them had a desire to discuss any particularly deep topics, they would often find themselves in an awkward silence with nothing to say.

While on one hand, this was making Zuko irritable and stir-crazy, he also had to admit that he enjoyed the insane amount of down time. Much of their time was just spent laying on the ground, curled into each other's arms. Zuko was sure they were both gross, having not bathed in days. However, Aang didn't seem to even notice, as he often pressed his body flush to the firebenders and buried his face into Zuko's neck.

Zuko found that he loved holding Aang. Not only was he pleased with the fact that it made Aang feel better, but he found that it also helped him remain calm. When his boredom and frustration got to the point that he wanted to set all the crates on fire, Aang would wrap his arms around Zuko's neck and he would feel almost instantly better. However, there were also a couple occasions when it was... awkward. Thankfully, Aang was a relatively oblivious individual and didn't notice when Zuko was shifting his tunic uncomfortably.

About a week and a half into their journey (about halfway across the ocean by Zuko's estimates), something broke their normal pattern of bland conversation and boredom. They were both sleeping after a good early afternoon meal. Aang was curled, facing Zuko's chest and the firebender had an arm casually laying over Aang.

Suddenly, Zuko started awake, compulsively gripping Aang's shoulder. The airbender let out a quiet moan, but otherwise didn't wake. Releasing his grip, Zuko looked up from where he lay, trying to figure out what had awoken him. After a few moments of silence, he heard it.

Someone was walking towards them. It was a slow, casual pace, but best he could judge, they were probably not far beyond the crates that hid them.

Panic started to set in. If the sailor found them, there were pretty much doomed. Even if they managed to fight their way away from this person, word would spread and the whole crew would be looking for them. Then there would be almost no chance of staying hidden for the remainder of the voyage.

And if they were caught, they would undoubtedly be handed over to his father.

Heart pounding in his chest, he tried to keep his breath as even as possible as he gently placed a hand over Aang's mouth. The airbender's eyes flew open in panic, his eyes searching in front of him wildly. But when he saw Zuko with a finger to his mouth, his body stilled, though his eyes were still wide in surprise.

Zuko pointed to one of the taller stacks of crates nearby and slowly mouthed, _Can you airbend both of us up there?_

Aang looked back and forth between Zuko and the stack of crates. He looked incredibly uncertain. _I... think so..._he mouthed backed.

Zuko looked in the direction where the footsteps were coming from. They were getting closer. They could either stay and risk being seen, or try and run away and risk being heard.

Hedging on the deniability of sounds, he quickly and quietly stood. He grabbed his swords and back and hung them across his shoulder for before motioning Aang to come closer to the crates with him.

Looking extremely nervous and worried, Aang followed Zuko, eyes glued on the state of crates in front of them. "I don't know if I can..." he said, voice barely audible.

Knowing time was running short, Zuko gripped Aang's shoulders and quickly whispered, "If we stay, we're going to get caught. Just _try_."

Aang nodded, still looking uncertain. He grabbed Zuko's arms and turned his back to him, wrapping Zuko's arms over his shoulders. He bent his knees and muttered, "Hold on."

Zuko didn't even process the warning before he felt himself being jolted into the air. He gasped in surprise and reflexively tightened his grip on Aang. The whole thing took less than a second, but Zuko still found himself marvelling at Aang's ability to airbend two relatively large boys twenty feet into the air.

When they landed gently on the top of the crates, Zuko fell into a low crouch, pulling Aang down with him. He slowly peered over the edge, and sure enough, a Fire Nation sailor came around the corner moments later. The sailor lazily glanced where the fugitives had been moments ago before walking on.

Zuko let out a sigh of relief. He turned to Aang who was smiling like a schoolboy who got away with burning his homework, and couldn't help but smile himself.. "I guess we got lucky," he whispered.

"Hey!"

Zuko spun around just in time to see the volley of fire being thrown at them. Reacting instinctively, he parted the incoming fire with the point of his hand before sending back a return blow with his other.

The sailor rolled to the side to dodge the attack, giving Zuko the opportunity to grab Aang run along the top of crates away from the attacker. As they approached the end of the row, Aang grabbed Zuko's sleeve and gave their leap and airbending boost to the next stack of crates. But as soon as they landed, the top of the stack started to tip over. Aang flicked his arms forward and created a ball of air underneath them, softening their fall.

A little disoriented, Zuko stumbled into a standing position, taking a defensive position facing the three sailors approaching them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aang do the same.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a couple of stowaways," one of the sailors sneered. The others laughed, making Zuko's skin crawl. The sailor talking was massive, muscles bulging out of his shirt. He skin was dark and rough, typical of a man who's spent his whole life out at sea.

"Interesting tattoos you got there," the gargantuan man said. "You're a pretty exotic little thing, aren't you?"

The former Fire Nation prince's blood started to boil at the words. Aang was trying to keep up a brave front, but he could also see Aang trembling, which only fueled his anger. Thrusting both fists in front of him with a loud yell, he shot out hottest fire he could muster. The sailor's jumped back in surprise, Zuko feeling a slight rush of glee at the momentary fear that flashed across their faces.

"_Zuko, look out_!"

Zuko heard a loud crack before feeling the intense pain reverberate from the back of his skull. He let out a shout of pain and briefly saw the ground rushing up towards him before losing consciousness.

* * *

**Yup. That's a cliffhanger.**

**Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review with any comments or criticisms! :)  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! You have no idea how much they mean to me!  
**

**This chapter is one part stupid, and two parts filler. Hope it's enjoyable nonetheless! We're getting close to some more interesting bits of plot which should be more entertaining. (Not sure the boys would agree with that though... well, maybe parts of it :P)**

**Remember to leave a review with any criticisms or comments you may have!**

**Enjoy Chapter 8!**

* * *

The first thing Zuko was aware of was the splitting pain in his head. If he didn't know better, he'd have thought someone was cleaving it open with a red-hot ax. He pinched his face and moaned, pressing the heel of his palm to his temple. _Azula must have gone all out during practice again..._

Something gripped his shoulder, and if Zuko had been inclined to move at all, he would have swatted the hand away. The last thing he wanted or needed was some healer trying to comfort him. However, the incessant pounding in his skull made moving out of the question.

"Z-Zuko...? Are you... a-awake...?"

The firebender mentally frowned. That was not the voice of a healer..

Against all better judgement, Zuko forced his eyes to crack open. However, the onslaught of light forced them back shut again. _God, I hate concussions... _He continued to blink hesitantly, determined to force his eyes to adjust.

There was a blurred face hovering over him. At first, all he could really make out were the strands of messy brown hair that pointed at him. As the image got sharper, Zuko could see that the face was well-defined, if softened by boyish features. A small, more insane, part of him wanted to reach out and trace the features. From the high cheekbones to the eyes, slanted in concern, right down to the tip of the blue arrow...

_Blue arrow._

Zuko's eyes widened as reason took hold of him. "Aang..." he croaked out. He winced and let out a dry cough. His throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper.

The worry in Aang's eyes only increased. "Th-they haven't given us water yet..." Aang said quietly. His voice was also gravelly from the lack of hydration, but it didn't sound nearly as bad as Zuko's.

_They? They who?_ Zuko's eyes rolled upwards as he tried to remember what happened. _We were running away... ended up on a cargo ship... the crew..._

Gritting his teeth, Zuko slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, screwing his eyes shut as his stomach threatened to empty what little contents it had. Aang gripped his arm and helped pull him up, for which Zuko was silently grateful for. Once he was settled against the metal wall, he was finally able to get a better look at their current surroundings. It wasn't much. They were in a small storage room. Over a dozen empty shelves lined the walls. Large patches of rust covered the walls and the joints of the shelving.

Turning back to Aang, he asked, "How long was I out?"

Aang shrugged, eyes glued to the ground. "I dunno... A day, maybe?"

Zuko slowly nodded, massaging his throat. It seemed the more he spoke, the less his throat hurt. Unfortunately, thinking didn't seem to have the same effect on his head. He gently prodded the back of his skull. There was a large lump, but the skin wasn't break. Which was good, considering the conditions of their current prison.

He switched his attention over to Aang, who was kneeling beside him, hands clenched on his thighs, and eyes still downcast. "Did they hurt you?" Zuko asked.

There was a minute of silence before Aang shrugged. "I mean, it's not like they were _gentle _when they put us in here..."

Zuko frowned. The airbender was being too evasive for his liking. "Where are you hurt?" he insisted. "And don't lie to me and say you aren't!"

"I wasn't going to..." Aang said softly. With a small sigh, he finally lifted his head and looked his firebending companion in the eye. "It's not as bad as it looks..."

When Zuko got a clear view of Aang's face, he felt his blood start to boil. He had seen Aang's face when he first woke, but he must have been too preoccupied with his own searing pain to notice the bruises. There was a large purple and red patch on the left side of his face, his left eye completely swollen shut and his lip split and swollen. Zuko clenched his fists against his legs, keeping himself from firebending in a rage. "Not as bad as it looks?!" Zuko seethed. "It looks like someone tried to bash your face in!"

Aang flinched. "I d-didn't know w-what they w-wanted... s-so I just k-kinda... froze..."

Zuko closed his eyes and deliberately took deep, even breaths. There was no point in him being angry, especially when all it was going to do was scare Aang. So he forced his rage into the recess of his mind, saving it for when he was confronted with the bastards. When Zuko felt he had gotten his emotions under control, he reopened his eyes to find that Aang had re-bowed his head, slight tremors running through his body. Fighting to keep his rage buried, Zuko wrapped an arm around the airbender and pulled him to his side. "I'm not angry..." _at you_. "I just... get upset when you hide the fact that you're hurting. I want to help you. Agni, I want to help you so bad... but I can't if you don't _tell _me you're hurting." Zuko rested his head on top of Aang's, speaking softly into his hair. "Please don't hide from me. Please."

Aang started to cry, though he tried to hide it with a hand pressed against his mouth. "I... I th-thought they... _k-killed_ you...!"

Zuko rested his head on Aang's, squeezing him against his side. "I'm fine, Aang. A little concussed, but fine."

Finally, Aang gave in, heart wrenching sobs tearing their way out of him. Between hiccups, Aang managed to squeak out small apologies which were barely audible through the fabric of Zuko's tunic. The firebender just shushed him and pulled Aang closer, wrapping his other arm around him.. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, Aang..." he insisted. "_I_ should be apologizing for getting us into this mess."

Aang shook his head vehemently. He looked like he was going to verbalize a response, when a loud clanking came from their prison's door. He jumped in Zuko's arms, head swiveling in the direction of the noise. Zuko kept his embrace firm around Aang, placing a hand on the back of Aang's head as reassurement.

A moment later, the door swung open with a loud creak to reveal the massive man from before. "Ah, I see you're awake," the man said, wearing that same smug sneer. "Good. I've got a few questions for ya." He stepped in and closed the door behind him. "First off, you boys have names?"

"That's none of your business," Zuko growled.

The man shrugged. "Whatever. Just thought it might make the conversation easier. You don't wanna tell me your names? Fine. I'll just make some up. You can call me Ryuun, by the way." He leaned against the far wall, staring at his two captives with a look of appraisal. "So, what are you doing on my boat?"

Zuko kept his mouth shut. Anything he said could only be used against them, so why say anything at all? Instead, he maintained his glare, silently telling Ryuun just that.

Ryuun seemed to get the message, but he just let out a bark of laughter in response. "You've got spirit, kid. I'll give ya that. Not like Tatts, there." He nodded in Aang's direction. "He your little slave boy or something? 'Cause if he is, you need to work on him some more. Soon as you got knocked out, he just wouldn't cooperate with us. Even after taking a few hits to that pretty little face of his, he wouldn't say a single word. Stubborn brat."

Pride (and a bit of sadness) at Aang's refusal to speak to these bullies joined into the mixture of rage boiling in Zuko's stomach. He tried to focus on that, knowing that if he lashed out in anger, it would only end bad for both of them.

"Anyway, now that you're awake, maybe we can get a few things cleared up." Ryuun slid down the wall into a sitting position, much to Zuko's confusion. By sitting down, he was putting himself on the same level as Zuko, giving up the advantage of being on his feet. "So... you thought you could get a free ride to the Earth Kingdom on my boat, didja?"

Zuko didn't respond, assuming the quite obvious question was rhetorical.

"Hmph." Ryuun crossed his arms across his chest. "Thing is, I'm extremely curious as to who you are exactly. Normally, I find stowaways, I lock 'em up 'til I can hand them over to the authorities to deal with. However..." He reached into his tunic and pulled out a rolled piece of paper. Zuko's stomach dropped, knowing exactly what was written on that paper. "The two of you fit the description of these two fugitives wanted by the Royal Guard... got quite the price on your heads, as well. So, my question is... _why_?"

Zuko frowned. "Why do you care? Why not just turn us in and get your reward?"

Ryuun shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe you're more valuable than you look. Maybe the Royal Guard wants you for information. If that's the case... Could be the Earth Kingdom would give me an even better reward."

"You would sell out a fellow Fire Nation citizen to the _Earth Kingdom_?" Zuko spat. "Where's your sense of loyalty?!"

The hardened sailor let out a bark of laughter. "There is no loyalty here, kid. It's all about business." He gave Zuko an appraising look. "And something tells me you would bring me the _lucrative _type of business."

The former Fire Nation prince tried not to flinch. The absolute last thing they needed was to get stuck in a bidding war between his family and the Earth Kingdom. Because there was no doubt the Earth Kingdom _would_ pay a high price for a Fire Nation prince. Fugitive or not. "And this is supposed to be an incentive for me to _talk_?" Zuko said incredulously. "You seriously need to work on your negotiation skills."

Ryuun chuckled. "You know, either way, I'm handing you over to _someone_. Tell me, how do you think the Earth Kingdom would treat a Fire Nation prisoner like yourself?"

_Better than Azula would, _Zuko thought to himself.

They sat in silence for a few moments before Ryuun threw his hands into the air. "You don't feel like talking? Fine." He stood back up with a grunt. "I'm sure I'll figure out a way to loosen your tongue eventually."

It wasn't until the door had slammed shut behind Ryuun that Zuko rolled his eyes. _Not exactly the brightest fire in the family, is he? _Unfortunately, that didn't made their current predicament any less of a problem. In fact, if Ryuun was as much of a moron as he seemed to be, that probably mean they were in more danger than if he was actually competent.

"We need to get out of here," Zuko said quietly.

Zuko could hear Aang swallow. "How?"

Good question. They probably wouldn't arrive at the Earth Kingdom for another week, which gave them time to figure out a way to escape. But not much time.

Letting out a small moan, Zuko pressed one of his hands against the back of his head. The incessant pounding was making it hard to think, and the impromptu intimidation session from Ryuun hadn't helped.

"Are you okay?" Aang asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine," Zuko mumbled. "I'll be even better once they finally give us some food and water." His throat still felt like the Si Wong Desert.

Aang gave a small nod before slowly extracting himself from Zuko's arms. He didn't venture far, sitting right in front of Zuko, looking him in the eye. "Is there anything I can do?"

Zuko started to shake his head but then stopped. Through the brain-muddling pain and hunger, a plan was beginning to formulate.

"Actually... there is something you can do."

* * *

This was not one of Zuko's more thought out plans. And that was saying something.

But it was obvious that they had to get away from this ship and its crew as fast as possible. The longer they waited, the closer they got to land, and the harder it would be to evade any recapturing attempts.

No, their best bet was to try and escape now. Merchant vessels such as this one have tight schedules to keep, and wouldn't go off course to follow a couple of kids, no matter how high of a bounty they might have on their heads. This far out, it would be days before Ryuun would be able to alert any sort of authorities to conduct a search, which would be virtually futile at that point.

It was now or never.

Zuko and Aang both stood in loose at-ready positions, waiting for someone to bring them some food or water. If Ryuun wanted to gather information from them, then he was going to have to keep them alive.

While they waited, Zuko kept a careful eye on Aang. Aang had agreed to his plan and was determined to prove he could fulfill his part, however it was obvious that he was anxious. Zuko couldn't tell if Aang was anxious because he was worried he was going to fail or anxious about executing the plan in general. But he was composed, and Zuko knew he would be able to get the job done, which at this point was the primary concern. Reach physical safety first. _Then_, deal with emotion fallout.

The door clanked as someone unlocked it. Zuko and Aang shared a brief glance, tightening their stances. Aang gave Zuko a small nod, silently telling him he was ready. A brief moment of relief over the firebender before the door cracked open.

Aang spun in his stance and swung his arm out, sending a blade of air toward the door. The door slammed open against the wall, the unexpecting sailor being thrown into their prison. Zuko lunged forward, hooking an arm around the sailor's neck and pinning his arms behind his back. "Wait...!" the sailor started.

"Shut up," Zuko growled. "You're going to lead us to the lifeboats. I'll release you when and only when we safely on the boat, got it?"

"That's... what I was... intending..." the sailor wheezed out through the choke hold.

Zuko frowned. "What?"

Feeling Zuko's grip loosen, the sailor quickly sputtered out, "I was going to get you outta here. I've already got your things and some food and fresh water in one of the boats."

More confused than anything else, Zuko kept his grip on the man loose, but firm. "Why would you be helping us? What do you have to gain from it?"

The sailor's eyes flickered to Aang for a moment. "Most of the ben on this ship are uneducated," he said quietly. "They don't know the significance of those tattoos. But I do."

"Everyone saw him airbend earlier. It's not like that's a secret anymore."

The sailor frowned. "No, he didn't. At least, not that I saw, and I was there when we found you."

Zuko looked at Aang incredulously, but Aang refused to meet his gaze. _You didn't fight back?_ It really shouldn't have been that surprising. While he might have been stubborn and not talked to the crew, that didn't mean he had actually tried to fight them. And considering the circus leader (and probably Azula) harshly punished any attempts of escape or defyment, Aang probably would have been much to frightened to fight anyway.

"But I can get you out of here before the rest of the crew finds out," the sailor continued. "Nothing would be worse for the two of you than if discovered your friend is an airbender."

Zuko's immediate thought was that this was a trap. That this man was trying to gain their trust so that Ryuun could get the information he was looking for. But pretending to lead them to the lifeboats didn't really play any sort of role in that plan. Especially since it would risk Zuko and Aang escaping. Any other possible reason this could be a trap was simply ludicrous.

"Show us to the lifeboats," Zuko ordered, still skeptical.

With the sailor's nod, Zuko started forward. With quiet instructions from the sailor, they slowly made their way. Aang stayed a few steps ahead, arms at the ready in case they stumbled upon anybody. The sailor seemed to be leading them through a safe route, because they made it to the lifeboats without a single encounter.

"That one," the sailor said, nodding towards one of the boats. "Your stuff should be in there. Along with food and water"

Aang and Zuko shared a glance before Aang went to the boat and leaned in. He reached in and pulled out the bag Zuko had been carrying. His sword hilt could be seen out of the opening of the bag.

Essentially convinced, Zuko let got of the sailor. The sailor brought his arms forward and rubbed his shoulders. "You need to leave quickly. The longer I'm from my post, the more suspicious others will get."

Confused, but grateful for the break, Zuko and the sailor pushed the boat over the edge of the ship. Jumping with Aang, Zuko began to lower it before pausing and giving the sailor one last look. "Thank you," he said sincerely, "I don't know why you're doing this... but thank you."

The sailor smiled. "It's no problem." He looked down at some sort of object he was fiddling between his fingers. "Not many cling to the ancient ways... but those who do can always find a friend."

He tossed the object to Zuko. Catching the item by reflex, Zuko held it up to his face with an open palm. A Pai Sho tile. A white lotus Pai Sho tile.

His heart skipped a beat as the sailor's words echoed in his head. "Who _are_ you...?"

But when he looked back up, the sailor was gone.

* * *

**Fanfiction _hates _italics. It's such a pain to edit documents without the italics screwing everything up...**

Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review with any comments or criticisms! :)


	9. Chapter 9

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! You have no idea how much they mean to me!  
**

**Ugh, finally some progress... Figures that I find the most inspiration during Final's Week...**

**This first italics part is a bit limey. Hope you enjoy ;P**

**Remember to leave a review with any criticisms or comments you may have!**

**Enjoy Chapter 9!**

* * *

_Zuko moaned, waves of warmth and pleasure pulsing through him. Aang's hand was on his cock, slow and steady. It was almost a teasing pace, making Zuko's hips buck with want. "Faster," he insisted. "Please... faster..."_

_Aang complied, his soft breathing against Zuko's neck also increasing in pace. Zuko whimpered in pleasure, twisting a fist into the head of hair at his shoulder. His body instinctively rocked back and forth, aiding the airbender in his task. The air was filled with pleasure-filled noises, each little whimper that came from the boy on top of him tipping Zuko closer and closer to the edge._

_The hand tightened and twisted, a small and breathy "Zuko" escaping Aang's lips, was all the firebender could handle before he was coming into the airbender's hand. When his body finally started to relax into the post-climactic trembles, he kissed the side of Aang's head with a satisfied smile._

* * *

The moment Zuko woke up and realized what he had just been dreaming about, he had to bite back a moan of embarrassment. Especially when the subject of his dream was curled up right under his arm.

Moving slowly and carefully, Zuko rolled onto his side so his raging erection pointed away from Aang. He grabbed himself and started pumping. Quietly and quickly as he could, (praying to the spirits that he wouldn't wake Aang), he brought himself to completion, a little _too_ disappointed that it wasn't nearly as satisfying as it was in his dream. Sighing in self-deprecation, Zuko got up and walked over to the wash basin to wash his hands off.

They were currently staying in a small village near the coast of the Earth Kingdom. After an agonizingly boring, yet worrying, week out at sea, they finally reached land with limited food and water to spare. They slept under the cover of the trees for a couple days, just relishing the sensation of being on steady ground. Then, they marched inland. They stumbled upon the village a couple days later. Thinking of them as refugees, the villagers immediately welcomed them, gave them a place to stay and fresh food to eat. They even tended their wounds, which they believed were the result of a Fire Nation raid.

Zuko looked up at his reflection. It's been six days since Zuko and Aang arrived there. They were nearly completely recovered from the malnutrition and wounds that had resulted from their voyage. It was time they moved on. Even though these people had accepted them and they could easily make a life here, Zuko was still determined to find his uncle. Azula and Ozai could easily comb the coastal villages looking for them. Really, even if they were in the middle of the continent, Zuko still wouldn't feel safe. That wouldn't happen until he found Iroh.

In the meantime...

Zuko tossed the towel aside and turned to stare at his companion. Aang was curled up in his normal sleeping position, his blue arrow barely visible through his thick hair. His expression was peaceful and utterly adorable.

Zuko groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. This was ridiculous. First, he's been having these _incredibly_ inappropriate dreams, then he keeps having these _thoughts_. Thoughts that could only be explained by his undeniable attraction to the airbender.

It's not like he didn't see this coming. Even before they ran away from the palace, he had noticed certain feelings stirring inside him when he slept beside Aang. Feelings _other_ than those of protectiveness. Unfortunately, these feelings only served to fuel his anger toward the ringleader and his sister. Zuko knew that Aang had gotten to the point where he felt safe enough around Zuko to act freely. He wasn't about to jeopardize Aang's one sanctuary by admitting or acting on his feelings, which would, most likely, push Aang away.

Aang's breathing suddenly quickened, and his body tensed. He barely let out a low whimper before Zuko was sitting beside him, running a hand through his hair. "It's okay," he murmured. "You're safe..."

Normally, that would be enough to calm the airbender back into a peaceful slumber. However, the softly spoken words didn't seem to be breaking through this time. Aang's face was pinched in fear, he was gripping his arms so tightly, his nails were digging into his skin.

"Aang...!" Zuko grabbed his shoulders and gave him a firm shake. "Wake up! It's just a dream!"

Aang's eyes snapped open, but they were glassy and unfocused. Still trapped in his nightmare, he flung his arms up in front of his head, body shaking in fear of an anticipated blow. "I'm sorry..." he whimpered. "Please don't hurt me anymore... please don't..."

Zuko blinked away the rising tears as he gently gripped the airbender's wrists and pulled them down to his chest. "It's just me... Aang, it's Zuko..." He cradled the traumatized boy's face with a hand while pressing their foreheads together. "It's just a nightmare, Aang... We're safe in the Earth Kingdom..."

Slowly, Aang's eyes began to focus, his breathing slowed, and his shaking turned into small trembles. "Z-Zuko...?"

Zuko smiled, rubbing a thumb across the airbender's cheek. "Yeah. Just me."

Tears started to run down the side of Aang's face, his face twisting in regret. "I'm so sorry, Zuko...!" he sobbed.

"Oh, _Agni_..." Zuko pulled Aang up into a tight embrace, cradling the airbender's head to his shoulder. "You have _nothing_ to be sorry for..."

Aang shook his head against Zuko's shoulder, but didn't say anything. He just continued to sob, gripping Zuko's tunic like a last lifeline.

Zuko held the sobbing airbender tightly in his arms, murmuring meaningless reassurements, now confident in his resolve to never pursue his feelings.

* * *

They left later that morning. A village elder told them they could stay longer if they wanted, but Zuko insisted that they needed to move on. Still, the village gave them an ostrich horse and a little money.

"It's not much," the elder said, "but you boys have obviously had a tough time of it. Every little bit helps, am I wrong?" Zuko bowed and thanked the elder and the villagers for their generosity and hospitality. Aang also gave a small bow and gave a small smile of gratitude, still not comfortable speaking in front of strangers.

Several miles into their journey, Zuko said, "You didn't want to leave, did you?"

Aang was seated behind Zuko one the ostrich horse, arms wrapped loosely around Zuko's middle. "No..." he responded quietly. "But I understand why."

There was a beat of silence. "I promise, once we find a place where we don't have to worry about Azula and my father, we can settle and finally just live our lives."

Aang nodded against Zuko's back." And you think that place is with your uncle?"

Zuko nodded. "If there's anyone who could protect us from my father, it's Uncle Iroh."

They headed inland, figuring that the White Lotus would most likely be hiding. For days, they wandered aimlessly from village to village, keeping their eyes and ears open for any tidbit of information that might be related to the White Lotus. However, there was nothing beyond general praise for the White Lotus' effectiveness against the Fire Nation.

Zuko wished they _could_ just settle down in one of these villages, change their names, and just live out their lives. As their food and money supply ran low, he was tempted to do just that. Not permanently, just for a couple months. That would be enough time for him to get a job and earn some more money. However, there were rumours flying around about the arrival of the Fire Nation princess, who was pursuing fugitives. Even though Aang kept his tattoos covered and Zuko scar actually providing anonymity, the firebender was going to take any chance. So they kept moving, never staying in one place for more than a couple days. With the masses of people who were travelling to Ba Sing Se to get away from the war, Zuko and Aang blended in perfectly, and it seemed that Azula had yet to pick up their trail. Everything in consideration, they seemed to be doing quite well.

Which was why Zuko couldn't help but hold his breath and wait for their luck to finally run out.

* * *

They were out of food and almost out of money. Zuko briefly considered selling the ostrich horse, but realized that the ability to travel long distances at a time was worth the investment of feeding the animal. Instead, Zuko opted to steal some money. He told himself that it was for the survival of them both. However, he regretted this decision the moment Aang learned what he had done. The airbender's face fell slightly, obviously in disagreement into the necessity of the theft.

"It's either this, or starve," Zuko argued. "What are we _supposed_ to do?"

"We can eat berries..." Aang replied. "I used to come to the Earth Kingdom all the time, so I know which ones are edible. And you can eat fish!"

"First off, I don't know the first thing about fishing," Zuko pointed out. "Secondly, we can't worry about what's right and wrong. This is about survival."

"And what about the people you stole that money from?" Aang asked earnestly. "What if _they're_ struggling to survive? Or have a loved one that's sick that they need to care for? We don't anything about those people! Certainly not enough to know for sure that we need the money more than they do!"

Having no reasonable argument, Zuko had since stopped stealing what they need. While they were getting by with berries and the occasional fish that Zuko managed to spear, it was clear that all three of them weren't going to make it much further if the trend continued.

They reached the end of their money supply when they arrived in a small desert village. They hadn't eaten in over a day, their desert surroundings barren of any edible berries or decent water supplies. Zuko figured it'd be worth it to spend the rest of their money on a decent meal. The village was also far enough from the beaten path that they could stay for a bit and maybe earn some more money.

"Can I have some water, a bag of feed, and something hot to eat for me and my friend?"

The vendor looked at their small pile of money and shook his head. "Not enough here for a hot meals." After a pause, "I could get you _two_ bags of feed..."

Zuko sighed, contemplating his options, when he saw a couple of boys out of the corner of his eye. One of them flung an egg, and they both scurried off.

Behind him, Zuko could hear the egg hit its mark, followed by loud "Ow!".

Aang started to turn around, but Zuko grabbed his arm and shook his head. Hopefully, if they pretend like they didn't notice, they wouldn't get into any trouble with the locals.

"Hey! You throwing eggs at us, stranger?"

Zuko silently cursed his luck. "No," he said without turning around.

"You see who _did_ throw it?" questioned the same voice.

Zuko turned around to face the disgruntled men. Judging from their clothes, he assumed they were Earth Kingdom soldiers. "No," he said sharply, openly grabbing his swords and making it very clear that he was willing to defend himself.

"Is that your favorite word, _no_," one of the other soldiers taunted.

Zuko was half tempted to respond with another '_no_', but bit back his tongue when he felt Aang grab his tunic. He couldn't get into a fight with these guys; not with Aang here.

"Egg had to have come from somewhere," the original speaker, obviously the leader of the group.

Zuko turned back around, placing a hand on Aang's should to reassure him that everything was under control. "Maybe a chicken flew over," he responded casually.

When the vendor came out with a couple bags of feed, the leader shoved his way forward and grabbed them. "Thanks for your contribution. The army appreciates your support." He tossed the bags to one of the other soldiers. "You better leave town. Penalty for staying is a lot steeper than you can afford, stranger. _Trust me_." He tapped one of the hammers hanging from his belt suggestively before he and his followers walked off.

"Those soldiers are supposed to protect us from the Fire Nation," the vendor said. "But they're just a bunch of thugs."

Zuko didn't say anything. Mostly he was just angry that now they didn't have anything to eat.

"Thanks for not ratting me out!"

Aang jumped as one of the boys from before popped up beside their ostrich horse. He looked to be about eight or nine, hair splayed in all directions.

Irritated that this kid cost them what was left of their money, Zuko ignored the kid and hoisted himself onto the ostrich horse, Aang climbing on after him.

They started to ride away when the kid grabbed the reins. "I'll take you to my house and feed your ostrich horse for you. C'mon! I owe ya!"

That was very true. Which was why Zuko didn't protest as the kid led them off to his place. Aang's grip around his middle tightened slightly. Zuko could tell that he was a little apprehensive, but he placed his hand over Aang's and silently told him that it would be fine. Somehow, Zuko doubted the boy was up to anything nefarious.

Turns out it was a good decision to make. Not only did their ostrich horse get fresh feed and water, but after the kid (whose name turned out to be Lee) explained what happened, his parents were impressed enough to offer them some food and water, along with a place to sleep. Zuko felt a little uncomfortable with that amount of charity, but the mother suggested that they could work around the farm for the day before dinner. Seeing how Aang seemed eager to help out, Zuko couldn't refuse such an offer.

There was just one problem. Zuko sucked at physical labor. He had absolutely no idea how to use any of the tools, and (to add insult to injury) he had lost most of his previous strength after weeks of their fugitive lifestyle.

Aang seemed to be getting along okay. While he was even weaker than Zuko, he seemed to understand the basics of carpentry. They spent most of the afternoon working on the roof of the barn house, and every nail Aang hit went straight in, no problem. Meanwhile, Zuko had to bend about five nails before any of them went in properly enough to actually be effective.

"You guys don't seem like you're from around here..." Lee stated.

Zuko shook his head.

"Where you from, then?"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Far away."

"Ohhh..." There was a moment of silence. "You're friend doesn't talk much, does he?"

Aang's shoulders stiffened.

"He's just shy," Zuko deadpanned, hoping the kid would just shut up and let him concentrate on hitting these stupid nails.

"Why does he wear a headband?"

"He thinks it makes him look cool." Zuko smiled when he caught Aang's glare out of his periphery. He lifted up the hammer to strike a final blow on this one nail...

"So how'd ya get that scar?"

BAM. Right on his thumb. Zuko let out a loud grunt of pain, grasping his thumb tightly. An instantly later, Aang was kneeling beside him, giving him a concerned look. "I'm fine," he managed to grit out.

"Lee!" his father admonished. "It's not nice to bother people with things they might not want to talk about. A man's past is _his_ business."

Zuko was silently thanking the man, knowing he wouldn't have been able to make up a story on the spot to explain his scar. Though, now that he thought about it, he could just say a firebender burned him. I was probably a pretty common occurrence in the Earth Kingdom.

Aang lingered by his side until he was convinced that Zuko really was okay. They all continued to work on the roof until the sun had set and Lee's mother called them down for dinner.

That evening, Zuko and Aang were laying in the barn on piles of hay, which was the most comfortable thing they had slept on in weeks. As per usual, Zuko had an arm wrapped around Aang, who was curled into Zuko's chest. After a day of labor and a filling meal, they were both exhausted. In fact, Zuko had almost fallen asleep when he heard the airbender mumble something. "What was that?"

Aang pulled his face from the firebender's chest for a moment and said, "How _did_ you get that scar?"

It shouldn't have been such a surprise. Afterall, it was brought up earlier today. Not to mention that Aang had to be curious why the prince of the Fire Nation had such a scar. Still, Zuko found himself momentarily speechless.

Misinterpreting the silence, Aang quickly said, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want! I was just curious..."

"No... it's okay..." Zuko said, surprised to find that it was true. He didn't have any reservations with talking about his scar to Aang. Maybe it was because the airbender had suffered so much more than he. Aang was the only person Zuko had ever known who could possibly understand his level of anguish.

Then again, it could just be because Aang was his one and only friend.

"I spoke out against a general," Zuko said quietly. "Even though it was for the sake of protecting Fire Nation soldiers, it wasn't my place to question my betters. It was out of line, and such an action could only be settled with an Agni Ki, a fire duel. What I didn't realize, was that because it had happened in my father's war room, it wasn't the general I had disrespected... but my father."

Zuko took a deep breath and sighed. "I wouldn't fight him. The thought of having to face my father - of having to _fight_ against him - was unbearable. Unfortunately, refusing to fight is a sign of great weakness. And so... my father burned me. To teach me a lesson."

Aang tightened his grip on Zuko's tunic. "That's... _awful_..."

Zuko shrugged. "It's in the past. I learned my lesson, though I'm not sure it was the lesson my father intended..."

The firebender could feel Aang's eyes looking up at him. "What d'you mean?"

"Well... I'm pretty sure my father's intention was to teach me that being anything but ruthless would get me nowhere. But that's not what I got. Instead of becoming more ruthless, I just became... more uncaring. I tried to not care about all my countrymen who were dying needlessly, about my father not having any faith in me, about Uncle disappearing..."

Zuko fell silent. His whole life had changed after that one encounter. A few months ago, he wouldn't have been able to name a single positive consequence of that Agni Ki. But now, Zuko knew that he wouldn't have had the strength to save Aang and runaway from his father's cruelty had he not had that first-hand experience.

He tightened his grip on Aang's shoulders. In a way, he was grateful. Grateful that his father set him on the path to being here, with Aang, without having to hide behind a mask of indifference.

"I'm so sorry," Aang said quietly.

Zuko smiled in the dark, pulling the airbender close and resting his head against Aang's. "Don't be."

Laying on a pile of hay, in the middle of nowhere, with his best friend in his arms, Zuko had never felt so content.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review with any comments or criticisms! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**Sorry it's been so long! I'm swamped with internship applications, course work, and two jobs! I am constantly working on this story, though! Every spare minute I have, I write a sentence or two to keep it going.**

**We're headed towards a rather interesting part of the plot soon, so stayed tune!**

**Enjoy Chapter 10!**

* * *

The next morning, the duo was awakened by Lee's mother, inviting them inside for breakfast. She asked them to stay longer, adding that her husband could use the extra help around the house. However, Zuko shook his head and said they needed to keep moving.

Aang was reading their ostrich horse as Zuko packed their bags. Once again, the feeling of longing hung thick in the air. Especially from Aang. The longing to just stick to one place and settle. Which was funny, when you considered that Aang was an Air Nomad. Zuko would have thought Aang of all people would not mind the constant moving so much. Nonetheless, the longing to stay was there. And it just made Zuko more determined to find his uncle.

Just as they mounted the ostrich horse in preparation to leave, a low rumble could be heard. In the distance, there was a large dust cloud. It wasn't long before everyone could see that it was the soldier thugs from town riding toward them.

"What do they want...?" Lee's mother asked worriedly.

_Trouble_, Zuko thought to himself.

When the soldiers pulled to a stop in front of them, Lee's father stepped forward. "What do you want, Gao?" he growled.

The man with the hammers, presumably Gao, smirked. "Just thought someone oughta tell you: your son's battalion got captured." He turned to his cohorts. "You boys hear what the Fire Nation did with their last group of Earth Kingdom prisoners?"

"Dressed 'em up in Fire Nation uniforms," another responded smugly. "Put them on the front line _unarmed_, way I heard it." He spit on the ground casually. "Then they just watched."

"You watch your mouth!" Lee's father said angrily.

Gao sneered and marched forward on his ostrich horse threateningly.

Not about to have his host assault on his watch, Zuko placed his ostrich horse in front of Gao, giving him a warning glare. He could see Aang doing the same in his periphery. And given the expression Gao made, he got the message loud and clear: Leave, before this becomes more than it's worth.

"Why bother rooting around in the mud with these pigs," Gao spat. He yanked his ostrich horse and headed back to town, the other soldiers following suit.

"What's gonna happen to my brother?" Lee asked softly.

"I'm going to the front," Lee's father declared. "I'm going to find Sen Su and bring him back." His wife began to cry, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

As the soldiers rode off, Zuko silently cursed them. _So they just came out here to taunt the family? What a bunch of sickos_. "We should go," he muttered under his breath. He could feel Aang nodding his head against his back in eager agreement.

He turned towards the road, opposite from the direction the soldiers had taken. Looking back at the distraught family, Zuko said, "Thank you for your hospitality. And best of luck."

Lee's father looked up from his distraught wife and gave a strained smile. "Thank you, stranger."

And with that, Zuko and Aang rode off.

Not much later, they came upon a stream. Knowing it would probably be the last source of water they would find for a while, they stopped to drink their fill and replenish their supplies. Sitting on the grass, Zuko noticed Aang staring blankly at the stones in the stream. "Aang?" He placed a hand on the airbender's shoulder.

Aang blinked out of his trance. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"It's fine," Zuko automatically said. "What's wrong?"

Aang looked at him earnestly. "Isn't there anything we can do to help them?"

Zuko sighed. He knew how Aang felt. It seemed... just _wrong_ to leave like that. These thugs were terrorizing this town,, to the point where they were finding pleasure in taunting others' losses. There was nothing Zuko wanted more than to put those arrogant pieces of garbage in their place.

But how could he do that exactly? He was confident in his ability to fight without his firebending, but four against one was pushing it. That was assuming Aang didn't know how to fight without airbending. Which, Zuko would admit, was presumptuous on his part. However, even if Aang _could_ fight without bending, it was still four against two, which weren't great odds either. And even if they _did_ manage to win in a fight against the soldiers, what then? It's not like they can _kill_them. If they run them out of town, they'd simply come back later, and no doubt exact revenge against the village.

"It's too risky," Zuko said regretfully. "There's nothing we can do that wouldn't end up making everything worse in the long run."

Aang growled, running his hands through his hair. "I can't accept that! Those soldiers aren't even Fire Nation! They're all supposed to be on the same _side_."

Zuko blinked in surprise, taken aback by the vehemence in Aang's frustration, especially considering how docile he usually was. "Aang... there's nothing we can do."

Aang looked up at Zuko, eyes filled with a desperate plea. Zuko held the airbender's gaze until the desperation turned into resigned acceptance. Aang closed his eyes and sighed. "I hate this. I hate being useless."

"You're not useless," Zuko assured. "At least, not any more useless than I am."

Aang returned his stare to the stream. There was a long minute of silence. Zuko wanted to say something more encouraging, but he could tell Aang was trying to get his words together. So he waited until Aang was ready to speak.

"Do you really think we'll be able to make a difference once we find your uncle?" Aang finally said, wistfully.

Zuko nodded. "I'm certain of it."

When silence reigned, the firebender laid back on the grass, staring up at the clear sky. That was something Zuko noticed about this nation. The sky was so much clearer. The clouds had sharper edges, you could see further, and at night, you could see significantly more stars than you could in the Fire Nation capital.

"I've been a prisoner for the last hundred and four years."

Zuko tilted his head. Aang was still staring at the stream, fine tremors shaking his shoulders. Zuko sat back up. "Aang?"

"It wasn't just the ringleader, or the princess," Aang went on, "I was prisoner of my own body. Of my own mind. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that I was dead during those years." He turned to face Zuko, his expression blank save for the tears brimming his eyes. "But you woke me up. You _saved_me... I want to make sure..." His voice petered off, and he bit his lip nervously.

The firebender leaned forward, bending down a little so their eyes would meet. "Make sure what?"

"You have to help!"

Zuko turned to find Lee's mother coming up on an ostrich drawn carriage. She jumped down and ran towards them. "It's Lee. The thugs from town came back as soon as Gonzu left. When they ordered us to give them food, Lee ran up and started screaming at them, calling them name! Then they... they took him away!" She buried her face in her hands. "They said if he was old enough to start a fight, he was old enough to join the army...! I-I know we barely know you, but..." her voice dissolved into tears.

"We'll get your son back," Aang responded instantly, giving Zuko a pointed look.

But Zuko had no intention of arguing. "You go ahead and head back to the town and keep an eye on your son," he instructed the distraught woman. "We'll be right behind you."

"Oh, thank you!" she said tearfully, "Thank you!"

When she was back on the carriage and riding back to the village, Zuko turned back to Aang. "How good at you at fighting without your bending?"

Aang wiped the tears from his face and looked around for a moment before a sly smile appeared on his face. He grabbed a long thick branch from the ground, twirling it a couple times in his hands. "Not very. But I bet I can be a good distraction."

* * *

_This is a terrible idea._

Zuko kept a firm hand on his swords as he approached the village. He could see a crowd in the distance, but couldn't make out any individual people yet.

He had no idea why Aang was suddenly so adamant about helping other people. Not that Aang wasn't _usually_all for helping others that seemed to be in need. It was just that he was usually much more submissive about it. Yes, he'd like to help people, but he was too skittish to really do much himself. Now, it's like a coin was flipped. He was practically aggressive about it now.

Aang had completely frozen when confronted with the sailors back on the cargo ship. Quite frankly, Zuko didn't blame him. But he couldn't see how Aang was going to manage to do _this_without freezing up again.

Though, it had been a couple weeks since they arrived in the Earth Kingdom. Since then, Aang had definitely opened up and gotten more confident, though still tended to be pretty shy around other people. Maybe he was confident enough to pull this off.

And really, Zuko wanted to help Lee as much as Aang did, which was probably why Zuko didn't argue too hard against his idea to begin with.

As he entered the village, people started to part so not to get in the way between him and the soldiers. Moments later, Zuko could see Lee tied to a wooden structure.

"Hey, there he is!" He exclaimed. "I told you he'd come!"

The soldiers stepped up to meet Zuko as he approached. "Let the kid go," he growled.

Gao laughed. "Who do you think you are, telling us what to do?"

"It doesn't matter who I am," Zuko replied. "But I know who you are. You're not soldiers. You're bullies: freeloaders, using your power, mostly over women and kids. You don't want Lee in your army. You're sick _cowards_, messing with a family who already lost one son to the war."

Gao turned to the others. "Are you gonna let this stranger stand here and insult you like this?"

The cohorts exchanged quickly glances before brandishing their weapons and charging forward. When the first man got close enough, Zuko pulled his swords out partially, ramming the handle into the man's stomach. As Zuko re-sheathed his swords, the man crumpled with a groan.

The other two men looked a little more wary, but kept on running. Making sure his stance was solid, Zuko gripped one of their heads and pinned the man to the ground, knocking him out cold. Turning toward the last man, Zuko spun around to avoid the tip of the spear, grabbed the shaft, and snapped it like a twig. Looking down at his splintered spear, the last cohort let out a small squeak before turning tail and fleeing.

Turning to Gao, Zuko fully drew his swords, taking them apart and getting into an en garde position. Gao unhooked his hammers from his belt and similarly took an at-ready stance.

For a moment no one moved, waiting for the other one to move first. Zuko tried to see if he could hear Aang getting into position, but the airbender was too light footed for him to hear.

Their plan... their _stupid_ plan... was for Aang to discreetly send strong air currents to throw Gao off balance. He was a large man and assuredly an earthbender, so Zuko was a little dubious as to whether this was actually going to work, but Aang seemed confident.

Thankfully, Zuko was confident in his ability to defeat Gao, even without Aang's help. Hopefully, luck was on their side, and they would be able to take care of this scum without a hitch.

Finally, Gao swung one of his hammers into the ground. A rock flew up and Gao hit it with his other hammer. Zuko swung both his swords at the projectile, crumbling it upon impact. Unfazed, Gao swung both his hammers down, summoning a stack of rocks, which he proceeded to send Zuko's way with a steady rhythm of hits with his hammers. Zuko managed to deflect a couple of them, but the third hit him squarely in the stomach.

Forcing himself to breathe evenly, Zuko stood straight and swung his swords into a more offensive position before running forward. Gao continued his barrage. But then, as the rocks flew toward him, Zuko heard the air moving in unnatural directions, and he could see the trajectory of the rocks shifting. He internally smiled. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make it much easier for him to deflect.

Gao started to swing his hammers with more force, hitting the rocks straight out of the earth. Zuko grit his teeth as he braced his arms to deflect the large rocks. He was getting tired of not being able to take the offense.

Finally, with a loud grunt, Gao swung his hammer down, a line of rocks exploding from the ground and heading straight for him. Zuko watched the row of rocks blasting from the ground and knew that it was too fast. He wasn't going to be able to move out of the way in time.

As Zuko braced himself for impacted, he suddenly heard the sharp whistle of a gale just before he felt himself being flung to the side. He hit the ground and rolled until he slammed against the side of a one of the buildings. A bit jarred and vision swaying, he quickly tried to stand, but couldn't seem to figure out where the ground actually was.

"Zuko!"

He stiffened, hearing the panic in Aang's voice. Looking up, he could barely make out a blurred figure running towards him abnormally fast.

"Stay back!" Zuko forced out, his sight beginning to focus while his body seemed content to not move at all. "I'm fine!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gao reel back his arm in preparation for another attack. He instinctively tried to move away when he noticed the angle of Gao's arm. The attack wasn't being aimed at him.

It was being aimed at Aang.

All at once, Zuko's body loosened, and he swung one of his swords out, a blade of fire erupting from the blade's edge and flying towards the unsuspecting soldier. Gao was able to raise his arms in time to keep the fire from burning him, but in that time, Zuko was able to stand up and continue his barrage of firebending attacks.

Finally, a strong gust of air flew by Zuko and hit Gao straight on, sending him flying back into one of the buildings.

For a brief moment, there was just that sweet rush of adrenaline as Zuko realized that they had won. However, a low murmur of discontent began to rise from the villagers. And it wasn't until that moment that he realized that, yes, he had just indeed... _firebended_in front of all of them.

Aang ran up to his side, grabbing the edge of his tunic. "So much for not bending, huh?" he whispered humorlessly.

Lee's mother had untied her son, and was now glaring at Zuko, keeping her body between him and her son. Even Lee was glaring at them from behind his mother.

And that's when the rocks started to fly.

Zuko was able to bat away the first couple, but they were quickly increasing in number. Before more than a couple hit them though, Aang stepped forward, spun the branch he had been using over his head, and stabbed it against the ground, a sphere of air knocking back all the rocks that were being hurled at them.

"What is _wrong_ with you!?" Aang yelled angrily. "He just saved you from these bullies, and you thank him by _attacking_ him!?"

"He's Fire Nation!" someone shouted back immediately.

"Get out of our village, Ash-Maker!"

Zuko grabbed Aang's arm and tugged. "We should get out of here, Aang..."

But clearly, Aang was determined. Yanking his arm out of Zuko's grip he stepped forward, pointing his branch at the crowd. "You would all be on your knees _thanking_ him if he hadn't bent fire. He hasn't done anything wrong!"

"Whose side of the war are you _on_?" one old man yelled. "The Fire Nation has been destroying our homes and our lives for the last hundred years!"

More voices started to rise, the anger in their words and body language clear.

Zuko grabbed Aang's arm with a firmer grip. "Really, Aang, it's okay. _Really_."

Thankfully, Aang seemed to be losing heart and allowed himself to be pulled away by Zuko. Keeping his eye on the villagers in case any were inclined to attack, Zuko made his way over to where they had stashed their ostrich horse and supplies in the likely need for a quick escape. When he nudged Aang to climb on, he noticed that Aang was still glaring at the villagers, but looked more resigned to their attitude towards the firebender in the midst.

The villagers kept their distance, probably happy that they were leaving. A couple of them were tossing stones up and down menacingly, so Zuko hopped onto the ostrich horse and slowly urged it forward, hoping not to provoke anyone.

As they crossed over the threshold of the village, Aang let out a soft sigh. "Sometimes I hate people."

Zuko wrapped an arm around Aang's middle, gently squeezing. "Me, too.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review with any comments or criticisms! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**So, I think this chapter is what a lot of you have been waiting for. I do, however, want to highlight the point that this is my very first slash fic. I've never written this kind of story before. I'm actually rather nervous about this chapter. I really struggled with it.**

**Hopefully you'll still find it enjoyable, despite my struggles x_x**

**Enjoy Chapter 11!**

* * *

Aang stared into the darkness. The only source of light was the moon, and even it barely broke through the thick canopy of trees. Still, the small slivers of light were enough to concentrate on. Anything to distract Aang from his turbulent thoughts.**  
**  
Zuko was on his back, sleeping peacefully beside him. It was to be expected, since they spent nearly two days running non-stop in an effort to separate themselves from the incident in the village. No doubt Azula would hear about the firebender and his airbending companion and catch onto their trail, so they had to be extra careful. However, Aang wasn't too concerned. He was confident in Zuko's ability to cover up their tracks.

Aang couldn't get his mind off of the villagers. Their anger toward Zuko _just_ because he was a firebender. Zuko fought on their behalf and they _still_ had this unconditional hatred. Aang could only imagine what they would have done to them had they known that he was actually the son of the Firelord.

Though, Aang supposed that this was just the result of a hundred years of war. Who knows how Aang would have felt about firebenders had he been more aware of what the Fire Nation had done to the world.

But Zuko... Zuko may be a firebender... He may be the son of the Firelord... but he was a _good_ person. He was the kindest person Aang had met since waking up from the ice. Certainly more than the other Fire Nation citizens, and definitely more than the Water Tribe merchants. The first thing those waterbenders did when they found him was kill Appa...

Aang closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his knees, shoulders shaking as his memories overtook him. The smell of blood suddenly thick in the air, anger and grief gripping his chest in an iron grip. He wanted to disappear, shrink from existence. When those merchants killed his only friend, Aang wanted nothing more than to join him. That desire hadn't changed until he met Zuko. So to Aang, it didn't matter what nation someone was from. There were good and evil people from every nation.

When Zuko had apologized for his suffering, something he had nothing to do with, the world had come back to colour for the first time in years. Zuko brought him back to life. The more time Aang spent with him, the more he became aware the world and less aware of his own pain and suffering. That in of itself was something so profound to Aang that he didn't think he'd ever be able to thank the firebender.

But then Zuko took it further. He ran away from his luxurious life of princehood and _saved_ Aang. Zuko sacrificed _everything_. He said that he was doing it for the sake of his nation, which only further demonstrated his selflessness. Because of this, Aang was determined to prove himself useful. Zuko was putting _everything_ into trying to make the world better, from saving an airbending prisoner to wanting to overthrow his cruel dictator of a father for the Fire Nation. Given everything Zuko was doing, Aang wanted to make sure that Zuko's sacrifices weren't in vain.

He turned to look at Zuko. His face was relaxed, peaceful. The little spots of tension that normally marred his expression were gone. Aang loved looking at the firebender as he slept. It was common for Aang to wake up in the middle of the night, usually from a nightmare. Often, Zuko would also wake and easily soothe him back to sleep. But sometimes, Aang would wake up peacefully enough that he didn't disturb Zuko. While the airbender loved being cared for by Zuko, he was also grateful for the times that Zuko didn't wake.

Aang scooted closer to Zuko, eyes glued to the firebender's face. For a moment, he didn't move, just taking in every detail he could take in through the darkness. Then, he leaned forward and just barely touched the unmarred side of Zuko's face with the tip of his fingers. Zuko twitched, but didn't wake.

Aang was selfish. And his reason for enjoying Zuko's deep slumber was selfish. Aang had discovered that Zuko was a deep enough sleeper that he could freely express his perverted affection in a way he would never be able to if Zuko was awake. Sure, he was plenty affectionate during the day, but it wasn't the same. That was the affection of a child to their protector. This was different. This was the affection of a man in love.

It wasn't too long after they arrived in the Earth Kingdom that Aang realized that his feelings were more than just those of gratitude. Even more than those of friendship. There was nothing Aang wanted more than to be _with_ Zuko. No matter where they were, or where they were going, what they were going to do... it didn't matter to him. He just wanted to be by Zuko's side.

No... it was even more than that. Aang wanted to feel Zuko's body against his. There were so many times that Aang just wanted to press his mouth against Zuko's, explore his body... Let Zuko explore his, let him take control, take his body...

Aang closed his eyes and removed his hand from Zuko's face. Not only was it a hopeless love, it was an unnatural love. The monks never mentioned any types of love that were specifically _wrong_, but Aang had seen enough of the world to know that loving a member of the same gender was considered unnatural, even sinful. Once, while he was with the circus, they were performing in a smallish town on one of the islands towards the edge of the Fire Nation. One day, a man was brought to the town square and publicly flogged. During the spectacle, he overheard a couple of people talking. Apparently, this man had been found lying in bed with another man. From the way the couple spoke about it, it sounded like one of the most taboo things a man could do.

The last thing Aang wanted was to see the same disgust in Zuko's eyes as he had seen in the eyes of that couple. Therefore, the _last_ thing Aang could do was express his feelings freely to him.

Aang curled up against the firebender's side, tucking his head under Zuko's chin. Zuko automatically adjusted his body to accommodate the airbender, wrapping his arm around Aang's shoulders protectively.

Aang's eyes watered. He knew he should be eternally grateful to Zuko, but he couldn't help but feel saddened that this affection will never mean more than just friendship, regardless of just how valuable that friendship was to the both of them. Face pressed against Zuko's chest, he closed his eyes and let his tears be soaked in the fabric underneath him. "I love you," he whispered, his heart slowly being torn by the prospect of never being able to truly be with Zuko. Not in the way he desperately wanted to be.

* * *

It had been two weeks since the incident with the Earthbending soldiers. Thankfully, things have been very uneventful. Zuko was using every trick in the book to cover their tracks and (hopefully) throwing Azula and her lackeys off.

In the meantime, they were wandering from village to village, earning what little money they could before moving on. A week ago, they had to abandon their ostrich horse. They were having enough trouble feeding themselves, let alone a huge animal. Zuko would have liked to have killed it and save the meat, but he knew that Aang would have balked at even the suggestion. So they sold it instead. They were actually able to get a pretty decent sum of money. Now their problem was that they were travelling at a much slower pace than Zuko was comfortable with.

It was always something.

When they could, they would practice their bending. Unfortunately, their lifestyle was wearing on their bodies and they had both lost a lot of weight. This particularly worried Zuko, since Aang hadn't really had any body mass to begin with. The airbender would mostly meditate and work on his footwork while Zuko worked on some of his firebending routines. He also found himself joining Aang in meditating, finding that it calmed him. This is when he would work on proper breath control, like his uncle had taught him.

They were currently sitting in the middle of some dense forest, within a stone's throw of a stream. The running water was soothing background noise, excellent for meditation. Though Zuko would have personally preferred the silence. He found most background noises to be more distracting than anything else.

But Aang seemed to be able to find peace with their currently surroundings, so Zuko didn't complain. Aang deserved every little micron of peace he could find. He had been particularly emotionally tumultuous in the last two weeks. He was trying to hide it, but Zuko could tell. Aang was upset. Very upset.

It wasn't like before. Out of all of the emotional states Aang had been in before, upset wasn't one of them. Scared and nervous definitely. But he was also curious and infinitely forgiving. Even outgoing to some degree.

However, at the village Aang had become _angry_. Angry at the villagers for their automatic hatred of Zuko (which Zuko didn't really blame them for). It was a shock to Zuko, to say the least. The only other time he had ever seen Aang that angry was when he was remembering the death of his sky bison.

In the following days, Aang had become sullen and agitated. While before, he was fairly open with his emotions, he refused to tell Zuko why he was so upset. He claimed it was nothing, that he was fine. After a few days, the underlying anger in his demeanor went away, leaving behind some kind of permanent state of... sadness? Maybe. Maybe... regret?

No. Resignation.

Zuko opened his eyes to look at his meditating partner. What was he resigned about? The fact that Zuko would be hated just because he was a firebender? That hardly seemed reason enough to explain the dark fog Aang was currently in. But he couldn't think of anything else. What possible other reason could Aang have for being _resigned_? Resigned to the point of such a depression?

"Zuko?"

Zuko blinked to find that Aang was looking at him. In his musings, he didn't realize that he had been staring (probably creepily) at Aang. "Sorry," he mumbled, returning to a proper lotus position.

"Are you okay...?" Aang asked hesitantly.

"I'm fine," Zuko replied, vainly hoping that his subtle emphasis would spur Aang to open up.

Not surprisingly, the subtlety was lost on the airbender. "Are you sure? You seem... I don't know, troubled?"

Zuko couldn't help it; he laughed. The irony of Aang asking him if he was troubled was just too absurd to not laugh at. Of course, Aang seemed to interpret his laugh as something more concerning, his expression of confusion turning into one of concern. "Zuko?"

"I'm fine" Zuko said, his laughing tempering out. "Really. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh." Their meditation clearly having come to an end, he uncrossed his legs and took a more comfortable sitting posture. He met Aang's worried gaze and smiled. "I'm okay, Aang."

Aang turned to fully face Zuko, taking a more relaxed lotus-like posture. "Good. I glad you're okay."

And there it was. That resignation. It was practically oozing from Aang's posture, his voice, his expression. Seeing it now, after so much thought, Zuko suddenly recognized precisely what Aang was missing. What Aang seemed to have lost over the last two weeks. His spark. That small spark that Zuko saw back in the palace, that spurred Zuko into drastic action in order to preserve it. It was gone.

"Aang..." Zuko scooted so he was sitting beside the airbender. Wrapping an arm around Aang's shoulders, Zuko pulled him close. "You know you can tell me anything," he whispered. He could feel Aang trembling against his side. Almost immediately, Aang shook his head, body minutely curling into itself. Zuko's eyes burned at Aang's reaction, but managed to hold back his tears. "Oh, Aang..." Zuko caressed Aang's face, wiping the tears he knew would be there. "Please... I want you to talk to me. I know something's wrong, you can't hide that from me. _Please_, Aang. I hate seeing you suffer like this."

Aang let out a small sob, eyes squeezed shut. "I'm sorry..." he whimpered softly, more sobs following his apology.

Zuko's chest constricted painfully. "_Agni_..." He pressed his mouth against Aang's hair. "You have nothing to be sorry for, you hear me. _Nothing_."

He wasn't sure if Aang didn't hear him or if he was just too distraught. He continued to sob into Zuko's shoulder, clinging to his tunic like lifeline. Finally, Aang shook his head as his sobs started to die down. "Y-you don't... u-understand..." he mumbled out between hiccups.

"Then _tell_ me... make me understand."

There was silence, save for Aang's stuttered breaths and occasional hiccup. Zuko waited, praying to the spirits that Aang would finally open up to him. Finally give Zuko a way to try and help him.

Unfortunately, Aang started to tremble again, his head shaking. "I can't... I'm sorry, I can't... I don't want to lose you."

"Aang," Zuko said sternly. He pulled Aang out of their embrace just enough so he could place his hands on either side of Aang's head and force their eyes to meet. "You are not going to lose me. There is _nothing_ you can do that's going to get rid of me."

But Aang continued to shake his head, fresh tears falling down his face. "I can't..." he whimpered. "I j-just can't..."

Zuko closed his eyes, feeling his own tears threatening to fall. Gently cradling Aang's head, Zuko pressed his forehead against his, wishing there was more he could do. Anything that would help ease the pain from this tortured soul in front of him.

Then, without thinking, he leaned in and pressed his lips against Aang's, desperate to somehow ease his pain. When he registered the feel of Aang's trembling lips against his, he opened his eyes to find the airbender's eyes wide with surprise.

With a small gasp, Zuko jerked back and released his grasp on Aang's head. "I-I'm so sorry!" he managed to stutter out. He pressed his hand against his mouth, already missing the feeling of the airbender's warm lips against his. Then a wave of intense guilt hit him, his subconscious berating him for the fact that he _enjoyed_ taking advantage of his dearest friend. "I d-don't know what came over me...!"

Aang sat back, his face red and swollen from his previous sobbing. Eyes still wide, he looked as though he was in a daze... or some form of state of shock. Slowly, he brought his hand up and ghosted his fingertips over his lips.

Zuko's stomach twisted. He had basically _molested_ his friend. Now he was waiting for the inevitable freak out and, ultimately, rejection on Aang's part. "I'm so sorry...I just... temporarily... lost... my mind..." he puttered on pathetically.

All of a sudden, Aang leaned forward and pulled Zuko's hand away from his face. He cupped his hands on either side of Zuko's neck and returned the kiss with unexpected vigour.

For a moment, Zuko didn't move, not able to process what was happening. However, after that very brief moment, his brain was able to understand the feel of the warm breath on his face and the near-desperate grip on his neck. Closing his eyes, he let instinct take over.

Zuko carded a hand through Aang's hair, enjoying the feel of it between his fingers. Placing his other hand on the back of Aang's head, he leaned forward, letting out a small moan as the airbender hesitantly suckled on his lower lip. Desperate for more, he gently licked Aang's soft lips, asking for permission to go further. Aang opened his mouth with a small whimper, allowing Zuko access. Only too eager to accept the invitation, Zuko leaned in for a deeper kiss as his tongue explored the wet confines of Aang's mouth.

It was at this point that Zuko's ability to actually think kicked, making him freeze. Still trying to comprehend what was going on, he slowly leaned out of the kiss. "Aang?" he whispered.

Aang whimpered when Zuko broke the kiss, eyes opening at half mast. It seemed to take him a moment to gather his bearings, his expression of pleasure slowly transforming into one of worried panic.

Continuing to card his fingers through Aang's hair in hopes of keeping him calm, Zuko tried to ignore the fact that Aang's face was mere inches from his as he tried to make sense of what just happened. "Aang, are you... okay?"

Aang frowned a little at the question. "I'm fine..." he said slowly, eyes searching Zuko's face. "Are you?"

"Okay?" When Aang nodded, Zuko let out a small, breathy laugh. "Yeah... In fact, I think I'm better than okay."

Aang still looked confused, his eyes drifting downward to where his hands were fiddling with the collar of Zuko's tunic. "You don't think this is... unnatural?"

Still smiling, Zuko shook his head a little. "I'm not sure what you mean."

After some more unnecessary fiddling, Aang sighed and looked back up. "Men aren't supposed to _be_ with men. People seem to think that it's... just wrong."

Zuko, just stared at him for a moment, not knowing quite how to respond. Some of the communities that lived on the outer islands of the Fire Nation tended to abide by the more ancient belief systems of Agni's will, some of which dictated that Agni only approved of unions in which children could be produced. But in general, Zuko wasn't aware of many people who particularly cared who you choose to be your partner (unless it was an issue of nobility or succession).

Adjusting his position and pulling Aang's body closer, Zuko spoke with a voice barely above a whisper. "I couldn't care less whether or not you're a man. You make me happy. Happier than I've ever been." He hesitated to actually voice the extent of his affection, but decided that Aang deserved to hear it. "I love you, Aang. And I'd do anything for you.'

Aang started to softly sob, leaning his head into Zuko's shoulder. And between halting breathes, he managed to mutter, "I love you. I love you so much..."

Zuko held Aang close, burying his face in the airbender's hair. His own vision started to blur as tears started to fall down his face, but he didn't bother trying to hide them. He was _happy_. For what felt like the first time in his whole life... he was at peace.

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**This chapter was mostly fluff. The fluff will be coming in and out from here on in. A bit more actual plot next chapter :P**

**Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review with any comments or criticisms! :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**Ha ha ha, now we approach the real _meat_ of the story! XD**

**Enjoy Chapter 12!**

* * *

It was always _something_.

Like, seriously, was there some sort of cosmic rule that said that if something went right in Zuko's life, something else had to go wrong?

It was a only a few days ago that he and Aang discovered that they shared each other's affection. And really, it's done wonders for both of them. Zuko was more relaxed and just genuinely happier in general. Aang's nightmares were less frequent and he was smiling almost all the time now. It felt as though nothing could bring their spirits down.

Of course, nothing much had actually changed. Zuko was still vigilant in covering their tracks and taking unorthodox routes in order to keep the ever-present danger of Azula off their scent. They were still walking due Northeast, still hoping to find some contingent of the White Lotus so they could seek refuge with his uncle. Their day-to-day routine of survival and meditation was still the same. It was just now peppered with spontaneous make-out sessions.

It was like living in a dream.

Then, early this day, something started nagging Zuko in the back of his mind. At first he dismissed it, attributing it to his paranoia. However, when the feeling wouldn't leave him alone, he knew that it was foolish to ignore his instinct.

They were being followed.

What was more concerning was, not the fact that they were being followed (which was _very_ concerning), but the fact that Zuko had no idea _who_ was following them. It wasn't Azula or anyone from the Fire Nation. It was obvious that neither he nor Aang were in any condition to defend themselves, so there was no reason they would have waited this long to apprehend them. And if Azula _had_ finally caught up to them, she wasn't sloppy enough to allow her presence to be detected.

This was someone new. Zuko had no idea who else would be after them, but they were there. This was concerning because if he didn't know who was pursuing them or why, they were impossible to predict. If they were bounty hunters working for the Fire Nation, then they could strike at any moment. If they somehow knew that Zuko and Aang were trying to find the White Lotus, they could just be following them to gather intelligence on the resistance group. Without knowing the motives of their stalkers, there was almost no chance of properly preparing themselves.

Because of the great deal of uncertainty, Zuko knew he had to tell Aang. He had to know so he could be at least a little prepared if they were to be suddenly attacked. The reason he was hesitant was because he didn't want to spoil Aang's recent happy mood. In the last few days, Zuko had never seen Aang smile so much. He's noticed that Aang actually airbended more when he was happier. While before, he almost never airbended unless necessary, now he used it almost all the time. Not big sweeping or flashy movements, but little things, like airbending himself from a sitting to a standing position or using it to blow Zuko's hair out of his face.

He didn't want to spoil it. But he knew he had to.

Zuko looked up at the sky. It was nearing nightfall. "We should probably stop for the day." He shrugged off his bag and placed it on the ground before sitting down on a fallen tree trunk.

Aang placed his bag down with a nod. "I'm getting real sick and tired of walking..." He sat down next to Zuko and leaned his head against the firebender's shoulder. Looking up at the trees, he sighed. "I wonder if I can make a glider."

Zuko wrapped an arm around Aang's waist, pulling him in close. "A glider?"

Aang nodded. "I haven't had one since the Water Tribe merchants found me. I'm sure I'd be out of practice, but it'd be nice to fly again!"

Zuko nodded absentmindedly, admittedly only half-listening. "Aang... We're being followed."

He felt the younger man stiffen against his side. "W-what?"

For unnecessary precaution, the firebender looked around for the stalkers he knew he wouldn't see. "Someone's following us. I don't know who they are or _why_ they're following us. All I know is that they're there."

Very slowly, Aang sat up, extracting himself from Zuko's embrace. He turned to face Zuko with a worried expression on his face. "So... what do we do?"

Zuko placed a hand on the side of Aang's head, pulling it against his. "I don't know. I just wanted to let you know. The best thing we can do is to prepare ourselves for anything."

Aang closed his eyes and nodded. "Okay... Should we... I don't know, _do_ something?"

"No. Without knowing anything about these people, there's no way to predict their actions. Since we have no idea what their intentions are..."

Aang looked around, eyes darting from tree to tree. "How do you know they're there?"

Zuko sighed. "It's hard to explain. Honestly... it's more of a feeling than anything else. But even feelings, especially strong ones, shouldn't be ignored."

Aang nodded slowly, eyes still searching the woods around them. "And... you think it's more than more one person."

"Most likely. The only people who would be following us alone would be bounty hunters, and they would have struck by now."

That's when Aang sat up a little straighter, as though a thought occurred to him. "Do you think they're trying to kill us?"

"No," Zuko said almost instantly. "They would have done so by now. It's sort of obvious that we're not much a threat." He let out a frustrating sigh. "If only we had access to proper food, we wouldn't be so weak!"

"So we know they're not bounty hunters," Aang said. "And we know they're not trying to kill us."

Zuko frowned, unsure where the airbender was going with this. "Yes..."

Aang stilled for a moment, his voice suddenly much less confident. "Do you think... it's Azula?"

Placing an arm around Aang's middle again, Zuko shook his head. "If it were Azula, I would most certain not know she was there. Unfortunately, she's too cunning."

Aang's body relaxed, and he let out a breath he had been holding. He placed a hand over Zuko's and gripped it for support. "'Okay, so it's not Azula, either... It's not Azula, it's not bounty hunters, and we know they're not trying to kill us." He took a moment to think, staring hard at the ground. "Who would want us alive?"

Zuko leaned back, looking up at the darkening sky. "Assuming they know who we actually are... The Earth Kingdom would want to keep me alive to use either as a bargaining chip or for information. But even they would have tried to capture us by now if that was the case." He shook his head. "The only thing I can think of is that they know we're trying to find the White Lotus and are trying to follow us."

Aang laughed. "Well, they're out of luck, since we have no idea where the White Lotus is. Or how to find them."

Zuko smiled, though he was still worried. He hated feeling unprepared, but he knew there was nothing else they could do except wait. Which, of course, he also hated.

"Zuko..." Aang brought a hand up to caress the side of the firebender's face. With a small smile, Aang leaned up for a kiss.

For a brief moment, Zuko lost himself in the warmth of Aang's lips. But with a small muttered, "Aang..." he leaned back and said, "I don't think you're quite understanding the seriousness of the situation."

Aang frowned. "You said yourself we can't do anything."

Zuko gave him an unsure look. "Are you sure you want to make-out while you know we're being followed?"

Aang chuckled. "And usually _I'm_ the hesitant one..." He crawled on top of Zuko, legs straddling the firebender's lap and face so close that their noses were touching. "It's not like they're hiding right behind the trees." He hesitated for a moment. "I don't want... want their presence to... _change_ this."

So Zuko's earlier worry had been for naught. With a returning smile, Zuko placed his hands across the airbender's back, pulling him in for a deep kiss.

Aang let out a small moan, leaning in and opening his mouth. Zuko's tongue darted in, pressing and twisting with Aang's. Aang wrapped his arms around Zuko's neck, hands combing the firebender's hair. As they both caressed each other, their breathing started to turn into breathy pants. They only broke their kiss to take a deep breath.

It wasn't long before both their manhoods were swollen against each other and Zuko wanted nothing more than to start rubbing them, but he managed to resist. Without knowing the details of what's happened to him in the past, the last thing he wanted to do was to trigger some of Aang's bad memories.

This has been the central problem for Zuko during these make-out sessions. The kissing was great; the kissing was _fantastic_... but he wanted more. And of course, he also wanted to make sure that Aang was only experiencing positive encounters. He just had no idea how to broach such a subject without making Aang feel uncomfortable.

It was at that moment that Aang leaned in, his groin brushing against Zuko's.

Zuko jumped at the sudden stimulation, throwing his head back. "Aang!"

Aang's eyes widened in worry. "Did I... Did I do... something wrong?" he sputtered out breathily.

Zuko quickly shook his head. "No, no... It's just... are you okay?"

Eyes half lidded, Aang nodded. "O-Of course, I am..." He leaned in for a kiss again.

"W-w-wait, wait, wait," Zuko muttered. "You're... you're okay with this...? With more?"

Aang nodded, pressing his lips earnestly to Zuko's face, hands gripping his shoulders. Leaning in deep, his hips started to rut.

The firebender moaned, pleasure strumming through his lower body. All higher thought having been obliterated, Zuko wrapped his arms around Aang's slender body. Kicking aside tree branches and bothersome plants, he moved them to the forest floor and placing the airbender under him on the ground. Supporting his body with a single hand on the ground, he slowly untied the sash on his waist. He fumbled for a moment with the knot, but when he got it undone, he threw it aside and started to shrug off his tunic. Grinding his hips, Zuko slipped a hand into Aang's tunic and started to caress the airbender's body.

_Skin and bones... Skin, bones, and scars..._

All of a sudden, Aang's body stiffened and he let out a startled gasp. "N-no...!"

Zuko immediately sat up and removed his hands. "Aang?"

"I-I'm sorry!" Aang whimpered, his face twisting in grief and eyes welling in tears. Whatever he was seeing, it wasn't Zuko. "I didn't _mean_ to... I didn't know..!"

Quickly moving so he was sitting next to (not on top of) Aang, Zuko placed a hand on the side of Aang's trembling face. "Aang, it's okay... It's me, Zuko!"

Aang shook his head, tears streaming down the sides of his face. "No...! Please, no!"

Zuko silently cursed himself a thousand times over for letting his sex drive take things too far. Grabbing Aang under his arms, Zuko hauled him into a sitting position before wrapping his arms tightly around the airbender, muttering pointless reassurances as he waited for Aang to come back to the present.

Slowly, but surely, Aang's trembling began to slow and his erratic breathing calmed. When he wrapped his arms around Zuko's middle and buried his face into the firebender's shoulder, Zuko knew Aang was back with him.

"I'm so sorry," Zuko whispered. "I didn't mean to take it too far."

Aang quickly shook his head. "No, it's not your fault. I thought I was strong enough..."

"You are _not_ weak," Zuko said sternly. "After everything you've gone through, I'm certain you're the strongest person I know." Aang didn't say anything, but Zuko could feel the airbender's fine trembles. "I mean it."

Slowly, Aang nodded. "I know you do," he said softly.

Zuko sighed. "But you don't believe it."

Aang turned his face into Zuko's chest, pressing himself against Zuko's body. "Can we just... go to sleep?" he asked earnestly, his voice muffled.

Zuko nodded. "Sure." He started to let go of Aang, but the airbender just tightened his grip. "Aang... we're going to want blankets. Not to mention, I want to put my shirt back on."

Aang's hands moved up on Zuko's back, fingers gripping the naked flesh. "But I like you without a shirt..." he said, smile evident in his voice.

Zuko also smiled, huffing in fake indignation. "Fine. But we _are_ going to want blankets."

Letting out a small sigh, Aang nodded and slowly pulled himself out of their embrace, wrapping his arms around himself. As Zuko got up to grab their blankets, Aang asked, "What about the people following us?"

Oh. Zuko had almost completely forgotten about them. "Don't worry about it. There's nothing we can do until they make their move." He laid back down next to Aang, pulling the blankets over both of them. As soon as they were settled, Aang curled up in Zuko's arms. They lay there in silence for several minutes, their combined body heat trapped under the blanket keeping the night chill at bay.

"I know I've said this a thousand times..." Zuko murmured, "... but you can talk to me about anything. You know that, right?" He felt Aang nod against his chest, but the airbender made no sign of speaking. "I mean it, Aang. You've been suffering by yourself for years now. I think it'd be good for you to let it out somehow."

Aang shook his head, gently tapping his fingers on Zuko's back. "This is enough," he replied.

Zuko sighed. "I don't think it is..." He rubbed his hand up and down Aang's back. "You have to understand, when I see you suffer, I suffer too. I'm not trying to guilt you or anything," he added quickly, "I just... want to help you. I don't want it to be just 'enough'. I want it to be..."

Realizing he was lost for words and yet rambling, he stopped with a small sigh. "I just don't want you to suffer," he murmured with finality.

There was a long silence. The sun had now fully set, and the forest din slowly converted to the familiar nocturnal sounds of insect chirps and animal howls. Sure that Aang had fallen asleep. Zuko was about to do the same when he heard the young airbender say, "I'll... tell you. Talk to you about... it. But not tonight. Please, just not tonight..."

Zuko gave Aang an encouraging squeeze. "That's fine. I'm not trying to force you into anything... But It'd make me very happy if you were comfortable enough to talk to me."

And with that, while they were both silently anxious about the upcoming days, they were able to find enough serenity in each others arms to slowly fall asleep.

* * *

_"You are quite gifted," Monk Gyatso pointed out. "Perhaps one of the most talented pupils I have ever trained."_

_Aang smiled widely. "Really?"_

_Gyatso let out a short laugh. "My young pupil... you are nine years old and you have already mastered 23 of 36 of the airbending forms! At this rate, you'll be receiving your tattoos in two years time. Perhaps even sooner!"_

_Aang cocked his head to the side. "Is that special?"_

_"Yes... you'll be the youngest airbending master in our known history. Quite special, indeed."_

_Aang airbended himself into the air, purposefully spiralling unnecessarily. "Well... I can't help it they're all so easy!"_

_Gyatso's expression darkened. "Be very careful, Aang. While it is true that you are completing the forms extraordinarily fast and well on your way to becoming a proficient bender, the sign of a truly great master is absolute humility. Do not allow pride and arrogance to poison you."_

_When Aang turned to face his master, he found that he was no longer in his room, but outside in the courtyard. His peers from his age group were standing around him, staring at him with a mixture of disgust and terror._

_A twelve-year-old Aang spun around, but no matter which way he turned, he couldn't escape the glares of those he considered his friends._

_"Aang..."_

_Gyatso now stood within the circle with Aang, eyes wide with shock and grief. "What have you done?"_

_Aang shook his head in denial. "I-It was an accident..." he stuttered, his hand gripping the wound on his side. "I didn't mean to..."_

_The sky darkened, a deep rumbling echoing throughout the temple. A strong northward wind blew through, Gyatso and Aang's peers dissolving into ash and spiraling into the air. When it had all disappeared, all that was left was a single boy, lying on the ground, lifeless eyes staring directly at Aang._

**_You killed him._**

* * *

Aang woke with a strangled gasp, his body soaking in sweat. While his eyes darted back and forth, he started to panic when he found he couldn't see anything but darkness. However, as the primal fear from his nightmare started to fade, he realized that he just couldn't see because it was in the middle of the night and it was a new moon.

Zuko was still asleep, his arm loosely wrapped around Aang's waist. Evidently, Aang's sudden awakening wasn't as physically startling as it had seemed. Careful not to awaken the firebender, Aang placed his arm over Zuko's shoulder, gently pressing his face to his chest. He breathed in Zuko's scent, and as always, he found that it calmed him down, grounding him in the present.

He really should try to talk to Zuko. He knew that trying to keep everything in was a good way to slowly poison yourself. He vaguely recalled Gyatso telling him something like that. And Zuko seemed to really want Aang to talk to him. He seemed to think that he would be able to help Aang if he knew about the past. Aang knew that this wouldn't be the case, but maybe just the act of speaking would help.

Aang closed his eyes with a sigh. He just didn't know. He hated this permanent confusion he seemed to be lost in. While his life has definitely improved drastically over the last several weeks (of which he was eternally grateful for), he had entered a style of life of which Aang had no idea how to navigate. His continual fear of rejection or abandonment was only exacerbated by this uncertainty.

Zuko loved him. That in of itself was more than Aang had ever thought was possible. More than Aang had dared to hope for.

It couldn't last. Aang's life can't just continue to get better. That's not how life works. He was balancing on the perilous edge of a blade, and fully expected to fall back into misery at any moment.

It was just a matter of time.

* * *

A low rumble. So low that it was barely audible.

But Zuko heard it, was woken by it. He opened his eyes, not moving a muscle to prevent the rustling of fabric from drowning out the noise.

It was just before dawn, the barely visible forest grayscale under the young rays of light. Carefully looking around them, Zuko didn't see anything amiss, but the previously quiet nagging in the back of his mind was now screaming at him.

They were in danger.

Zuko quickly sat up, intending to wake Aang so they could get out of there. But before he could even open his mouth, a pointed wall of rock erupted from the ground between them like a blade.

"Aang!" Zuko tried to stand to run around the wall that separated them, but the ground beneath him spiraled up and wrapped around his body, immobilizing him completely.

"Zuko!" he heard Aang scream. "No!" Zuko could hear the deep rumble of earthbending and knew that Aang had been trapped as he had.

The wall that had separated them retracted back into the earth. Zuko saw Aang struggling against the earth that encased him, his breathing fast and his expression panicked.

"Aang!" Zuko shouted. Aang's head snapped in Zuko's direction. "It's going to be okay," the firebender tried to assure. "Just breath!"

That's when they jumped down from the trees. Three young men, who Zuko presumed were the stalkers. They weren't soldiers, their clothing and weapons of choice vastly differing from one person to the other. A tall and thin man, wearing mixed and matched clothes and a straw hat, had a bow and arrow, pointing it between Zuko and Aang. A shorter man with wild hair and faux armour-like dress, stood in an en garde position with shuang gou blades. The last man wore Water Tribe clothing, hair tied back in a ponytail and was wielding a black sword.

"'Let us go," Zuko growled.

The man with the blades scoffed. "You're in no position to be making demands, _Fire Nation_."

Behind them, a young girl made her way over the brush to stand behind the trio. Short in stature, she had long dark bangs which almost completely obscured her face. From her green and brown clothing, Zuko assumed that she was the earthbender.

_These aren't bounty hunters. They don't seem like bandits_. "Who are you?" Zuko demanded. "And what do you want from us?"

Standing straight, the Water Tribe man said, "We... are members of the White Lotus." He pointed his sword at Zuko. "And you're our prisoners."

* * *

**So much plot! I'm so happy to finally be getting into the actual plot! XD**

**Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review with any comments or criticisms! :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**TRIGGER WARNING: Bad things happen in the last... oh, fifth of the chapter. It's pretty graphic, and could be triggering for some individuals. If you want to skip it, I suggest stop reading the chapter HERE: _"Please..." he croaked out through his tears._  
**

**The GOOD news, is that this is basically as worse as it gets. **

**And without further ado, enjoy Chapter 13!**

* * *

"Where's Aang?" Zuko demanded, instinctively yanking on the chains binding his hands.

The Water Tribesman, whose name Zuko figured out was Sokka, crossed his arms and said, "That's none of your concern. We're going to be the ones asking the questions."

After they were initially captured, Zuko and Aang were gagged and bags were put over their heads, after which they were apparently escorted to a White Lotus camp site. Zuko tried to listen to what was happening, especially what was happening to Aang. However, he was too disoriented to focus enough to keep track of what was going on around them. While he was confined by rock during most of the journey, at some point the rock was replaced with chains. Fear festered painfully in Zuko's stomach at the thought of Aang being treated similarly.

Of all the ways Zuko had expected their finding the White Lotus to turn out, this was not one that occurred to him.

"I swear, if you hurt him..." Zuko growled.

"By the looks of it, we don't have to," the man with wild hair said. "It looks like you already did quite a number on him. Not that we should have expected anything from a _firebender_!"

"Cool it, Jet," Sokka said, eyes never leaving Zuko's face. He stepped forward, but still kept a safe distance. "What are you doing in the Earth Kingdom."

Zuko pursed his lips shut. They may claim themselves to be White Lotus, but without knowing who exactly these people are and what they were doing to Aang, he refused to cooperate.

The White Tribe man and the firebender steadily stared at each other, neither bothering to hide any animosity. After a few moments of silence, Sokka nodded. "Alright. What happened in the town where you firebent? Couple weeks ago... you cut down some Earth Kingdom soldiers..."

While Zuko was burning to defend himself, to tell them that those soldiers were abusing their power, he knew that anything he said would be twisted and used against him.

After a continued silence, Jet let out an annoyed sigh. "This is getting us nowhere..." He pulled out a knife and twirled it in his hand. "There are other ways of getting the information we want."

Sokka broke his eye contact with Zuko and turned to the other man. "Jet, we just started..."

"He's _Fire Nation_!" Jet snapped. "Lying and deception is in their blood! You really think we're going to get him to talk by playing _nice_?"

Sokka grabbed Jet's arm and pulled him away from Zuko. He, apparently, thought that they were beyond earshot. Fortunately, Zuko had above-average hearing.

"You really _want_ to use that knife?" Sokka hissed. "Does it even occur to you that you'd be sinking to their level?"

"Everything's fair in war," Jet hissed back. "I want to win this war, and that's not going to happen if we're not willing to get our hands dirty."

Sokka turned to look at Zuko for a moment before turning back to Jet. "Why don't you check up on Katara and the airbender?"

He raised a hand as Jet started to protest. "Give me a day. If I don't make any progress by tomorrow..." He briefly hesitated. "Then we'll try it your way."

Jet's eyes narrowed, shifting from Sokka, to Zuko, then back to Sokka. "_Fine_," he growled. He pushed the heavy blanket at the entrance to the stone tent aside and left.

Sokka didn't move from his position for a moment. Zuko could hear him taking purposefully deep, even breaths. Then, he turned back to the firebender and slowly walked back to where he was standing before. With slow, deliberate movements, he sat down, well beyond Zuko's reach.

Their eyes met in dim candle light, the two men silently stared at one another. The barely audible wind outside and the occasional clanking of Zuko's chains were the only sounds permeating through the silence.

Zuko tried to read the man through his eyes. He knew that some people were able to. His uncle was particularly good at it. However, his own skills were, in general, lacking. Looking into the Water Tribesman's eyes, he couldn't perceive much. Judging from his dress and his demeanor, he considered himself a warrior. However, he definitely lacked proper training, holding himself loosely. Beyond that, the only thing Zuko could glean was a lack of malice. Which, quite honestly, surprised him. Unlike his partner, he didn't seem to particularly want to cause Zuko any harm. He just wanted to get the information he needed.

"What are you doing with an airbender?"

Zuko blinked in surprise at the sudden break in silence. "Why does it matter?"

Sokka shrugged, leaning back against a pile of furs. "I don't know. There's no way to know what does or doesn't matter. Which is why I want to know everything."

Zuko nodded in understanding, but offered no answer.

Sokka sighed. "I thought airbenders were extinct. We _all_ thought airbenders were extinct. So, to actually _meet_ one, one who's travelling with a _firebender_... You can see why we'd all be interested, don't you?"

Refusing to answer, but needing to know what was happening to Aang, Zuko asked, "Who's Katara?"

Sokka blinked in surprise, but the surprise was short lived. "You could hear us."

A little annoyed that he accidentally let slip his extraordinary ability to hear, he said, "Just tell me you aren't treating Aang the same way you're treating me."

A small frown adorned Sokka's face. "If you could hear us, then you know that we... that Jet's going to _torture_ you tomorrow if I can't get any information out of you, right?"

Zuko kept a stone-hard gaze upon the man. He didn't care what any of them did to him. All he cared about was Aang. "Just tell me that he's okay."

* * *

"Here." The Water Tribe girl set a bowl down on the ground not far from Aang. "I'm sure you must be hungry."

Aang pressed his back harder into the corner he had situated himself in. He stared at the bowl with a mixture of hunger and suspicion, not making any move towards it.

He wasn't sure what kind of torture this was. He wasn't sure what he should do or say. He wasn't even sure how he got here or where Zuko was. After they were captured by self-proclaimed members of the White Lotus, they had gagged them, obviously in preparation to transport them. While Aang was ashamed to admit it, in the process of them shoving the cloth into his mouth, his vision had darkened, his mind shut down, and he dropped into a dead faint.

When he gained consciousness, he found himself lying upon a pile of animal furs, all previous bonds gone. Seeing the dead animal skins strewn about him (not to mention the disorientation from the passing out), caused him to promptly vomit. All that came up was sour bile, but he continued to dry heave as he forced himself to crawl off the furs and tuck himself into an empty corner of the stone structure. When the heaving finally started to cease, Aang suddenly became aware of another voice.

"... to be okay ... one's going to hurt you anymore..."

He was able to tell that the voice was feminine through the roaring in his ears. When he was finally able to focus, he could see a young woman sitting on the opposite side of the room from him. Through his swaying vision, all he could really discern was her unmistakably Water Tribe styled clothing.

He panicked at first, believing that somehow he had dreamt the last three years, the circus, the the Fire Nation palace, _Zuko..._ but then he realized that this was a ludicrous notion, momentarily tracing his fingers over scars he knew he obtained from the ringleader and Azula. However, if that was the case, then where was Zuko? Where was _he_? And who was this girl?

He wasn't sure how long he had been awake, but during that time, the girl never left and almost never stopped trying to get him to speak. For the most part, Aang was content to stay in the corner in a dissociated state.

Aang looked dispassionately at the bowl of soup. He had no idea where the girl got it from, but he didn't really care. Admittedly, he was pretty hungry, but worry for Zuko and suspicion that this girl had something to do with his disappearance kept him from even approaching the soup.

The Water Tribe girl sighed. "I know you've been through a lot. That much is obvious. But you _have_ to believe that I'm here to help you. We _all_ are."

The thick fabric blocking the entrance was pushed aside and a man chewing on a piece of straw with wild hair came in.

"Jet?" the Water Tribe girl questioned. "Did you find anything out?"

The man, Jet, shook his head. "Nope. Sokka's gonna work him, see if he can get anything. If not, we'll resort to more... forceful strategies."

The Water Tribe girl pursed her lips, eyes narrowing. "Do you really think that'll be necessary?"

"Katara, he's Fire Nation. Their loyalty to the Firelord is practically unshakeable. In my opinion, anything less than force is going to be a waste of time."

Aang's head shot up. "Zuko..." he murmured.

Katara spun around at the sound of Aang's voice. "Oh thank goodness..." She moved a little closer, but stopped when Aang shrank back. "I'm Katara," she said slowly. "And this is Jet. What's your name?"

Aang ignored her question. "Where's Zuko?" he asked quietly, his voice shaking with emotion. "Is he okay?"

"Zuko..." Jet repeated thoughtfully. "So that's his name..."

Katara, however, seemed to be completely focused on Aang. "Don't worry, sweetheart. He's not going to hurt you anymore..."

Aang's stomach dropped. These people were obviously fighting against the Fire Nation. Which means their first instinct was probably to hurt, or even kill, a citizen of the Fire Nation on sight. "W-what're doing to him?" he asked, his voice starting to raise in volume. "I s-swear, if you h-hurt him..."

"What do you care?" Jet asked casually. "He's Fire Nation. They all deserve to be put down like the animals they are."

"Where is he!?" Aang demanded panickedly.

"Sweetheart, it's okay..." Katara insisted, extending a hand with obvious intent to grip Aang's shoulder.

"Don't _touch_ me!" Aang growled, tears of fear starting to run down his face. "Haven't you people taken _enough_ from me? First Appa, and now Zuko, too?"

"Listen..." Katara said softly, "You need to calm down..."

"Tell me where he is!" He forced himself into a standing, en garde position. "Tell me _now_!"

"Calm down, _boy,_" Jet said sternly, slowly drawing his blades. "Don't make me - "

Aang spun and let out a wave of air, knocking Katara back against the wall. Jet was more prepared, just skidding back a few feet. The airbender jumped forward, but before he could get far or prepare another attack, Jet hooked his sword around one of his ankles, pulling and slamming him down to the ground, temporarily stunning him. Without hesitation, Jet slammed a knee into Aang's chest, grabbing his wrists and pinning them above Aang's head.

"Jet! Don't hurt him!"

Aang's eyes widened in fear as the scene before him melted away. Before his eyes, the man above him transformed into an all too familiar nightmare.

_"Airbending without permission?" the Ringleader asked disapprovingly. Flicking out a hand, a fire whip extending from his fist with a sharp crack. "That's twenty lashes, if I'm not mistaken. Yes?"_

* * *

"He's fine," Sokka assured. "We're taking care of him. Which, from what I've seen, is more than I can say for you."

Zuko's eyes narrowed in warning. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Sokka smiled. "If you think you have even a _chance_ of actually attacking me or escaping, think again. It may not seem like it, but you're constantly being monitored. You make a wrong move, and you'll find yourself in buried in rock."

Zuko looked around them, trying to figure out how exactly he was being monitored. Deciding that it wasn't important, he returned his attention to the Water Tribesman. "You might as well leave," he said. Now that he had some reassurance that Aang was okay, there was no more reason for him to speak with his interrogator. "I'm not going to tell you anything. I have no idea what your intentions are, so for all I know, my refusing to speak is keeping me alive."

Sokka nodded with a sight. "I figured as much. Still... I'd rather keep trying."

Zuko frowned. "Why?"

At first, the Water Tribesman didn't respond. Then, speaking slowly with thought, "Because... even though I hate everything Fire Nation... doesn't mean I completely approve of Jet's methods. Even if they _are_ effective."

Zuko leaned back against the wall, regarding Sokka thoughtfully. He didn't know what to say, but he was intrigued by what the man had to say. If circumstances were different, Zuko would have wanted to say that he thought Sokka was a good man and obviously had the makings of a strong leader. Unfortunately, saying such a thing in these circumstances would only kindle dangerous feelings of admiration or even comradery between them.

Even though they claimed they were White Lotus, Zuko didn't want to mention his uncle, even with the hope of gaining some sort of amnesty. He had no evidence that these people were _actually_ with the White Lotus. Even if they were, there was no guarantee that they would believe him, or even know _of_ his uncle. If Iroh was using an alternate name or hiding his Fire Nation lineage, suggesting that the White Lotus was being headed by a citizen of the Fire Nation could dangerous, not only for him, but ultimately for his uncle.

Even if it meant that he was going to be tortured, he couldn't risk putting his uncle in a compromising position. At least he'd live to be able to, maybe... eventually... actually find Uncle Iroh.

* * *

It was the middle of the night. There was no noise beyond the normal forest din. The camp was completely silent, its members peacefully asleep.

All except two.

Aang was curled on the ground, staring blankly into the darkness. He was still in the same building, but now he was completely alone. The day had mostly passed by in a blur. When it became around the time that most people liked to go to sleep, Katara had placed a thick blanket and pillow near where Aang was lying. Before she left, she had said something about leaving him alone and that someone would be right outside if he needed anything.

What a lie that was. Aang was a prisoner. And whomever was outside this prison was his warden.

He clutched the dirt beneath him. He hadn't felt this lost since he was still under the ringleader's rule. Even when he was Azula's plaything, at least Zuko had been there. Now, he was all alone and completely at a loss for what he was supposed to do.

With his head pressed against the ground, he could hear whoever was sitting outside push themselves into a sitting position. Aang tensed, knowing the person would probably be coming in to 'talk' to him or something. Every seemed so fascinated with the airbender in their midsts, but he just wanted to be left alone.

And sure enough, the curtain to the outside was pushed aside, briefly allowing moonlight to come in. Aang looked up at the newcomer dispassionately, but his insides clenched when he saw that it was Jet. "W-what d'you want...?" he muttered, trying to hide his fear as best he could.

Jet didn't answer, instead he grabbed the back of Aang's shirt and yanked him up. "Stand up."

Aang scrambled to get his feet underneath him, flinching away from Jet as far as he could. "W-what're we..."

"Shut up," Jet growled, shoving him forward, but still keeping a firm grip on the airbender. "Walk."

Too scared to protest, Aang allowed Jet to roughly push him out of his 'prison', through the camp, and into the surrounding woods. He tried desperately to keep track of where they were going, sure that (if Jet wasn't just going to kill him in cold blood) he was going to be abandoned in the middle of nowhere. Why? Aang didn't know, but what else would this be about if not to kill or abandon him?

They reached a stream, Aang assumed the same stream that he and Zuko had been following for the last while. Jet shoved him into the dirt, placing a foot on his back. "Now..." Jet said slowly and menacingly. "I'm going to get some answers from you. And you better hope I'm happy with them. You understand?"

The airbender nodded numbly, trying to ignore the sudden rushing feeling that was invading his body, making him want to push back. To fight. To _run_.

At first, nothing happened. All Aang could hear over the sound of the stream was some rustling above him. The rushing was becoming more and more intense. His body was tensing, his arms shifting so that he would be able to make himself stand faster. All in preparation. _Preparation for what...?_

_Run, his subconscious told him. Run... Run, NOW!_

"Oh, no you don't," Jet growled, grabbing the back of Aang's neck and jerked him down, grinding his face into the dirt. He jerked his arm down a few times, pressing Aang harder and harder against the ground, not letting up until Aang let out a small whimper. "You're not going anywhere. And you're not going to make this difficult for me. Because if you do, I will _kill_ that firebender."

Aang stiffened, a large lump having suddenly formed in his throat. No...

Jet let out a short bark of laughter. "Yeah, and it wouldn't be hard. Making it look like an accident would be easy enough. Though, even if it wasn't, I don't think it would matter. He's Fire Nation. No one here cares what happens to him. He dies, the world just become that much _better_."

A harsh sob escaped Aang, releasing his throat and releasing a litany of pleas. "N-no... please..." he begged, tears of desperation starting for fall down his face. "I-I'll do anything..."

Jet scoffed in disgust. "Yeah, I bet you would. Judging from all those scars, you must be quite the glutton for punishment. Like a little _pain_ with your Fire Nation dick, huh?"

The airbender shook his head, not quite understanding what the other man was talking about. "I-I... don't..."

"_Shut up!_" Jet spat. "I don't want to hear another word from you, _whore_." He let out an incredulous laugh. "That's why you travel with him, isn't it? I can't think of any other reason an Ash-Maker would keep someone like you around." Leaning down, he pressed his groin against the airbender's ass. "Do you make him feel _good_?" he hissed, mouth mere inches from Aang's ear, his hot, acrid breath blowing into Aang's face with every word. "Does he make sure your _needs_ are met?"

Aang clenched his eyes shut with a strangled sob, trying desperately to block out the world. He tried to imagine Jet's voice as just noise, meaningless and ignorable. However, he was becoming increasingly aware of the swelling bulge that was being pressed against his backside, its presence demanding his attention. "Please..." he croaked out through his tears.

Jet laughed again, but it sounded more like a cackle than anything else. "Greedy little thing, aren't you?" he growled, his voice becoming more breathy as he became more aroused. He grabbed Aang's hair and yanked his head back, smiling when Aang let out a pained gasp. "You didn't get to have that firebender's cock today... and now you're pining."

Feeling his trousers being pulled down, Aang buckled instinctively, wanting more than anything for this to end. He just wanted to buck Jet off and run, to shrivel and disappear...

_I will kill that firebender._

Feeling something warm and blunt being pressed to his entrance, Aang bit his lip and braced himself, knowing there was nothing else he could do. _I'm sorry, Zuko._

In one fluid motion, Jet plunged himself in, eliciting a sharp yelp of pain from Aang. Without any respite, Jet pounded himself into the airbender, breathing loud and harsh. Aang let out a grunt of pain with every thrust. He felt as though he was being torn apart, his stomach clenching and threatening to rebel at any moment.

"That feel good...?" Jet asked between thrusts, grabbing Aang's shoulders and pushing himself in harder for emphasis. "Better than that Ash-Maker, I bet..."

Aang twisted his fists in the dirt beneath him, letting the ground soak up his sobs. The sounds of flesh pounding on flesh echoed in the air, mixing with moans of pleasure and whimpers of pain. Jet switched back and forth between slow, hard, deep thrusts and a faster, harsher pace.

Suddenly, Jet wrapped an arm around Aang's waist and pulled him up so his ass was in the air, but his head and shoulders still painfully pressed against the ground. "You obviously like a little pain..." Jet sneered, pushing Aang's shirt up.

A moment later, something sharp pierced the skin on Aang's shoulder blade. And before the airbender could even properly process it, the blade was pulled down back, slicing him open. He bucked in pain, letting out a low keen.

"Oh, suck it up! You've obviously handled worse!"

And it went on. Jet pounding painfully into him, constantly jeering about what a whore Aang was, and that he should have expected for ever agreeing to associate with a firebender. He _deserved_ this.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Jet grabbed Aang by the hair, pulling his head back as he made his last final, deep thrusts. He stayed inside Aang for a few moments, shoving himself unnecessarily into the airbender to make sure he was thoroughly sated.

When Jet finally extracted himself, Aang remained laying where he was, wanting nothing more than for a spike of earth to emerge from the ground and pierce him through the chest.

He thought he had left this life for good. He thought he was finally free.

But then again, he also knew that it couldn't last. That it was all too good to be true.

This was his life. And, evidently, there was no way for him to escape.

* * *

**Sorry if you like Jet as a character... He wasn't initially going to fill this role, but I figured it was a way to use an actual character so I wouldn't have to make one up. (Not to mention I _really_ don't like Jet as a character...)**

**Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review with any comments or criticisms! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**TRIGGER WARNING: Jet is still a bastard in the beginning of this chapter. Not as bad as the end of last chapter, but still pretty triggery.**

**This chapter is a little shorter than usual. I couldn't figure out a good place to stop between here and a place MUCH later on, so I'm splitting this next part up. Hopefully I'll be done with the next part soon-ish.**

**Enjoy Chapter 14!**

* * *

Jet grabbed the airbender off the ground, ripping off his shirt and completely pulling his trousers off before shoving him into the creek. "Wash off, whore, and I'll take you back to camp."

Aang's body began to tremble as he sat there naked in the cold water, but he couldn't feel anything. He may have been shaking, but he felt completely numb, mind blank of any thoughts except for a small, cruel mantra.

_Whore, dirty, pathetic, worthless, whore, dirty..._

With a growl of frustration, Jet shed off his trousers and shirt and marched into the creek. "Worthless piece of cowpig dung..." He shoved Aang under the water, holding him there for a few seconds. The airbender struggled in Jet's grip, but was much too weak to even make it hard to keep him submerged. When Jet pulled him back up, Aang sputtered and coughed, taking a couple harsh gasps of air before he was shoved under again.

This process was repeated a few times before the older man was satisfied. Then Jet bent down and fondled Aang's groin for a moment. "How does that feel, slut?"

Aang didn't respond, his cheeks darkening in shame as he started to respond to the ministrations. The water was too cold for Aang to actually achieve an erection, but there was no denying that it still felt... pleasant. In contrast to the cold stream water, warm tears started to silently fall down his cheeks, silently berating himself for feeling such things for anyone but Zuko. He was such a traitorous whore...

Jet laughed, wrapping a hand around Aang's length and squeezing hard enough to hurt. Aang let out a moan of pain and tried to flinch away. "Masochistic slut..." he mumbled, tugging on Aang's penis and eliciting another small whimper. "Too bad this isn't about _you_."

Without warning, Jet released Aang and shoved three fingers up his rectum. Aang cried out as he felt himself being torn open again, which Jet didn't seemed to like. Pulling his fingers out as harshly as he had put them in, he wheeled back and backhanded the airbender across the face, a resounding _slap_ echoing through their surroundings. "Shut it. Stop pretending like you don't like it." He re-inserted his fingers, wiggling them around and thrusting them in and out. "I'm cleaning you out. You should be _grateful_."

Cleaning him. Because he was dirty.

Aang twitched and whimpered as Jet cleaned him, pain shooting out from his backside. At some point, his stomach finally rebelled and he vomited in the stream. Jet gave him a disgusted sneer, not saying anything, but thrusting his fingers into him with unnecessary force.

When Jet was done, he yanked the airbender up by the arm and practically dragged him out of the stream and dropped him on a relatively dirt-free rock. "Stay there until you're dry."

Dirty water dripping from his hair, Aang numbly curled his naked body and laid down. The rock was very warm compared to his soaked body. It made him wish he could pull the rock over him like a blanket. Even though he was numb, he was surprisingly... cold. In addition, his backside burned from the recent abuse and the fresh cuts across his back thrummed with pain.

Maybe it wasn't his body that was numb.

Jet sat a few feet away from him, glaring at him as though he was a waterlogged spider-rat. Aang shrivelled under the oppressive glare, feeling as worthless and empty as his first night with Azula. He was a thing to be used. Nothing more, nothing less.

He tried to keep Zuko in his mind, tried to imagine that Zuko would come and wrap his arms around him and make him feel safe. But his mind seemed to only be able to conjure up an image of Zuko's dead body. Killed... because of _him_.

You're a murderer!

Comfort? Safety? Aang didn't deserve these things. He didn't even deserve to die. He deserved to suffer. Trying to escape the suffering was nothing less than selfish.

Eventually, Jet rose, grabbed Aang's discarded clothes and tossed them to the airbender. "Get dressed we're going back to camp."

Back to camp. Back to his prison. On to the next chapter.

_At least Zuko will live_. Aang found as much comfort he could in that fact.

Zuko would live.

* * *

At some point, Sokka returned to Zuko's prison. Judging from the light that came in, Zuko assumed it was mid-morning. "Sleep well?" the tribesman asked.

Zuko shrugged. "It's not like you actually care."

Sokka gave him a serious look. "You're going to need all the strength you need to deal with Jet today."

"I can take care of myself," Zuko replied simply.

Sokka regarded him for a moment. "There's still time..." he said quietly. "Just tell me something. _Anything_. Give me something to give Jet and convince him this isn't necessary."

Zuko quirked an eyebrow. "Who exactly is in charge here?"

The tribesman bristled. "I am!"

"Then, if you don't want Jet to torture me, why don't you just tell _him_ that?"

"Well..." Sokka hesitated, "Maybe I'm not _completely_ in charge. We all kind of share the responsibilities..."

Zuko nodded. "Thought so. Still, to me, it sounds like you're all on the same plane. So why should Jet's desires override yours?"

Sokka glared at him. "You're Fire Nation," he growled. "Why should I listen to anything you say?" He turned around to leave, but almost immediately turned back. "Besides! Jet has a point! You probably have useful information that we need! And if you won't talk to me, than maybe a little torture will work!"

With that, he left, leaving Zuko in the dimly candle-lit space. With a soft sigh, the firebender closed his eyes and tried to meditate. The Water Tribesman was right about one thing. He did need his strength to endure something like this. And endure he would. Endure, and figure out a way for he and Aang to get out of here and find his uncle.

_Aang... please be okay._

* * *

Katara tapped her fingers against his knee nervously. It's been a very emotional morning, and there was no sign of it improving.

She checked up on the airbender (Aang, according to what Sokka said) as soon as she woke up. She was hardly able to sleep, worry about the poor boy plaguing her for most of the night. However, when she tried to make sure he was okay, he freaked out. Not the same kind of freak out as he had had the previous day. While he had been panicked, he seemed to be relatively clear of mind, constantly asking about the firebender.

However, this morning, he seemed to be so much _worse_. He had been completely still when she walked in, but when she placed a hand on his arm to see if he was awake, he had cried out, shied away from her touch, and broke down into hysterical sobs. The more Katara had tried to console him, the more distraught he got, babbling out apologies amongst incoherences and jerking away from her as though he had been burned.

Finally, she just left, recognizing that her presence wasn't doing anything to help Aang. When she left, she was burning with a rage towards the firebender. While the tortures he had inflicted on the boy's body were obvious, she couldn't even imagine what other cruelties he had committed to reduce the airbender to such a state.

That's when she saw Jet walking towards her, spinning a kunai around one of his fingers.

This sight made her stomach dropped. That's right. Jet was supposed to torture the firebender today. Torture him... perhaps not unlike the way the firebender had tortured Aang.

"Katara!" Jet said with a smile. "How are you this morning?"

Katara didn't respond, looking back and forth between Jet and the structure that contained the firebender. "Don't do it," she said quietly.

Jet frowned. "Do what?"

She turned pleading eyes to him. "Don't torture the him."

Jet scoffed incredulously. "You're kidding, right? Sokka wasn't able to get any information out of, so obviously more force is needed..."

"I know, but, Jet...!" She gripped his arm earnestly. "I don't want you sinking to his level. Seeing what he's done to Aang... it makes me want to _kill_ him. But it also makes me realize that there are some things that we _shouldn't_ be willing to do."

Jet sighed, wrapping an arm around Katara's shoulders and giving her a tight embrace. "Katara... don't you want this war to end? Don't you want it to end _soon_?"

"Of course. But...!"

"But nothing," Jet replied sternly. "The firebender should pay for what he did to the airbender, yes? So not only will we get information to help us win this war, but _justice_ will be served. What's wrong with that?"

Katara closed her eyes and shook her head. "I see what you mean. But I still don't like it."

With a small smile, Jet placed a soft kiss to Katara's temple. "Don't worry," he whispered. "By the end of the day, the Ash-Maker will have paid and we'll be that much closer to ending the war."

She didn't reply at first, but with no obvious counterargument, she slowly nodded her head with a sigh. "Okay."

After another quick peck, Jet released her and made his way to where the firebender was being kept. Katara wrung her hands together as she watched him disappear into the structure, still feeling unsure about all of this.

Feeling a bit more resigned than she liked to be, she went off to check on Aang really quick before finding her brother. She needed someone to talk to.

* * *

Zuko tried to look as casual as possible, glancing at Jet disinterestedly as he entered. _Well... here we go._

"I hope you're ready, Fire Nation," Jet goaded. "Not that it matters. One way or another... I'm going to have all the information I want by sundown."

Zuko chuckled. "You seem awfully confident." He nodded at the kunai Jet was holding. "Let me guess. You're gonna cut me. Deep enough to bleed, but shallow enough that I won't bleed out. Draw out some designs on me... write a few words. Maybe then you'll get _really_ creative and starting burning me with a torch." He shrugged nonchalantly. "In case you haven't noticed... I've taken a few _blows_ in the past. It's going to take more than you think to break _me_."

Jet shrugged, continuing to twirl his blade. "Maybe. You'd be surprised though. I _do_ have a bit of experience with this. Not specifically for the White Lotus, but for the same reason: getting rid of the Fire Nation." He started to slowly walk toward Zuko. Slowly, but with confidence. Earlier, some other members had come in and removed Zuko's shirt and shortened his chains so that he was mostly immobilized, so there was virtually no risk of Zuko being able to defend himself in any manner. "It'll be like you said: a few cuts, etch a few designs... then move on to more the more tasty forms of torture. The ones that are guaranteed to make you _scream_.

While Zuko was internally anxious, honestly having no idea how strong he was going to _actually_ be, he'd be damned before he let Jet have the pleasure of seeing his fear. "And I imagine there will be _mind games_ interspersed with all of this, yes? Afterall, isn't that what _truly_ breaks a man?"

Jet let out a loud laugh. "Right you are, Fire Nation." He knelt down in front of Zuko, inches from his face. "And what mind games I have for _you_." He pointed the kunai at Zuko's face, gently resting its tip on his cheek. "_Such_ mind games..." he whispered reverently, tracing the kunai down Zuko's neck, along his shoulder, and back to the front of his chest. Ever so slowly, Jet pressed the tip into the front of his shoulder. It wasn't until a little rivulet of blood started to run down Zuko's chest that he slowly dragged the blade down diagonally.

Zuko breathed slowly and evenly. It didn't actually hurt that much, but he knew it was only the beginning. Now was the time to start embracing the pain in preparation for the rest of the day. The goal was this day. Make it through this day and worry about tomorrow later. There would be time later for that. Time later to prepare for more pain later. All that he needed to worry about was today's pain. The pain that was there now.

Jet grinned almost maniacally as he finished the cut and started again, creating parallel lines across Zuko's torso.

The goal was today. The goal was now.

* * *

"How do you think it's going?" Katara asked tentatively.

Sokka looked over toward what his sister was referring to, as though he could possibly see right through the stone walls. Jet had gone in a couple hours ago. It was getting close to midday. "You know you could ask Toph. She'd be able to give you a real answer."

"But I'm asking you."

Sokka shrugged. "Well, we can't hear any screaming yet."

Katara also looked at the structure for a moment. "Do you think that's a good thing or a bad thing?"

The tribesman actually thought about that for a second. The lack of screaming could mean that Jet's 'interrogation techniques' weren't working, which would, in general, be a bad thing for them as a contingent of the White Lotus. On the other hand... the lack of screaming could also mean that the torture wasn't as cruel as Sokka and Katara feared it would be, which would be good for their guilty consciences.

"I don't know..." Sokka responded honestly.

Obviously still distracted, Katara tried to place all her focus on the water she was bending, slowly walking through her katas. Usually, she was able to completely lose herself in her routines. However, today that wasn't working. Her rage at the firebender for what he did to Aang in conflict with her empathy and desire to treat _everyone_ like a human being, no matter their crimes.

She hated this. In almost all cases, her opinion on an issue was clear cut and easy for her to argue or defend. It was rare that she was actually unsure about _anything_. But today she was. And she didn't like it. Why couldn't she just accept that this was for the best? That the firebender deserved this. In fact, better yet, why couldn't the firebender _not_ be a horrible monster? At least she'd be _willing_ to defend him against... whatever Jet was doing in there.

_Don't think about it._

"How's Aang?" Sokka suddenly asked.

With a defeated sigh, Katara stopped trying to concentrate on her bending and sat on the ground. "Not good," she replied. "This morning's been especially bad. At least yesterday he was semi-coherent. He was upset and angry, but making demands or pointedly ignoring us. Today, it's like he's reverted to a small child. Small, tortured, terrified child. He doesn't even seem to be completely aware of his surroundings. If I didn't know better..." her voice petered off.

Sokka stared at his sister for a moment, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't, "If you didn't know better... what?"

Katara frowned, not really having an answer for her brother. Aang was _really_ out of it. It reminded her of those who would wake up and still be lost in whatever nightmare they were having. Usually after a half an hour or so, they would break out of it and go back to what would be considered normal.

That hasn't happened for Aang. It's been hours and he still seemed lost in some sort of nightmare-state. Which lead Katara to believe that it _wasn't_ a nightmare that was causing this. But... if it wasn't a nightmare... than what else could have happened to reduce Aang to such a state?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of ostrich horse feet running towards them. The siblings both looked up as a man rode up towards them, coming to a quick stop and jumping off. "I have a coded message from headquarters."

Being the only one who knew the code, Sokka stepped forward to accept the message. "This is weird..." he thought outloud. "Why would headquarters send a small contingent like _us_ a message in code?"

"It's being sent out to all known White Lotus camps," the messenger replied, climbing back onto the ostrich horse. "I don't know what it says, but I know it's important."

"Well... yeah," Sokka said with a roll of his eyes, breaking the seal on the message. "That'd be why it's in _code_."

The messenger shook his head. "Not just that... this message comes directly from the Dragon of the West."

The siblings visibly froze. "What?" Katara asked incredulously.

But the messenger was already on his way, no doubt with other equally important messages to get delivered.

Katara spun around to look at her brother, whose eyes were quickly scanning the parchment. While she occasionally made fun of him for being so obsessed with the codes that he didn't have to reference a key to read messages, she was grateful that she wouldn't have to wait to hear what it had to say. "Sokka?" she asked anxiously.

As the tribesman slowly translated the message, the already deep pit in his stomach became deeper and heavier, the distinct feeling of nausea rising up in him. "Oh, Spirits..." he murmured.

"Sokka, what is it?!" Katara asked impatiently.

But before her brother could answer, a loud scream came out from their makeshift prison. The siblings turned toward it in unison, just in time to see the curtain covering the entrance being harshly shoved aside, Jet running out with another scream of pain. He only made it a couple steps before he fell to the ground, hands covering his face, writhing in pain.

From inside the structure, a scream of a different kind could be heard.

"I'LL _KILL_ YOU, YOU SICK PIECE OF _FILTH_!"

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review with any comments or criticisms! :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**So... this chapter is the longest I've written so far. However, it still ends in a non-satisfactory place. For that, I apologize. This chapter can be seen as a necessary bridge for the plot. All of this is taking a lot longer to write out than I thought it would...**

**I've already started the next chapter. Hopefully it'll be ready in a week or two.**

**Enjoy Chapter 15!**

* * *

_A few minutes earlier..._

Jet let out a soft sigh. "I have to admit, you're more stubborn than I expected. And at the same time... not."

Zuko was barely listening. Pain thrummed through his body in time with his heart, blood flowing freely from the dozens of cuts crisscrossed across his chest and arms. He imagined that if his manacles weren't so tight, there would be pain radiating from his broken fingers as well. As it were... his hands were practically numb.

The initial pain of each cut hadn't been so bad. Even when Jet snapped a couple of his fingers back, while it had been excruciating, was somehow manageable. But the culminating _ache_ of the cuts was becoming near unbearable. At first, Zuko was worried when he found he could no longer feel his hands, but now he was grateful. Not only did Jet stop breaking his fingers when he found that it was no longer causing any pain, but the pain was no longer adding to his increasing misery. Between the pain, the blood loss, and lack of any real sustenance, he was becoming lightheaded and nauseous. He had dry heaved a few times, but all that came up was sour bile, and the resulting spasms sending waves of agony through him. Somewhere behind his right eye, there was a growing ache of a different kind, not unlike the pain from his concussion a few weeks ago.

Overall, he was miserable.

Which was the point. He knew that. And, overall, he felt he was doing very well. Despite feeling like he wanted to ram his head into a metal spike, he hadn't said a single word to Jet since the cutting started. In fact, beyond a couple grunts of pain or a few involuntary tears falling down his face, he hadn't had any reaction to Jet whatsoever. In a way... the misery made it easier. Focusing on the pain, the nausea, made it easier to ignore Jet. All in all, these things made a very good shell for him to hide in.

There was only one thing that Jet could do to bring Zuko out of that shell.

"... Aang, right?"

Zuko twitched at the mention of the airbender. Licking his dry lips, his eyes focused on Jet. "Wh-what'd you say?" he rasped.

Jet smiled, and Zuko knew he accidentally exposed a chink in his armour. "The airbender... he's name is Aang, right?"

Zuko didn't respond, but still focused the deadliest glare he could manage toward Jet, silently warning him to not involve Aang.

"Quite the sadist, aren't you?" Jet went on, ignoring the warning. "All those scars... you're quite the brute."

The firebender's stomach clenched. _Jet thinks **I** did all of that._ Which probably meant that the whole camp thought so as well. He wanted to defend himself, to say what really happened, but knew that he would be playing right into Jet's game, whatever that game was.

"Though I guess you can't be judged too harshly for it," Jet went on. "After all, it's obvious he enjoys that type of thing."

Having no idea where his torturer was going with this, Zuko tried to continue to ignore him. However, he was finding it more difficult than before, given the current topic.

Jet leaned forward, pressing the kunai into a section of Zuko's shoulder where it had been untouched. Zuko winced, but showed no other outward reaction. "He's your pet... isn't he?" Jet asked, his voice low and raspy with barely contained excitement. "Yours to control... to maim... to do with as you wish."

Zuko's insides curled in disgust at the implication. Yes, he and Aang shared an intimate relationship. However, the idea that Aang was some sort of mindless _sexdoll_... especially since Zuko was sure that he had been abused as such in the past... made him want to vomit.

Well, more than he wanted to already.

"Well, you're not in control anymore. You're _nothing_ now. Nothing belongs to you. Not your freedom, you body, your mind, or your pet. I've made _sure_ of that."

Had the firebender been in a more mentally fit place, he might have realized what Jet was exactly saying. As it were, the statement confused him more than anything else. Because it was Aang, he couldn't help but ask, "W-what're you... _talking_ about?" He tried to sound as exasperated as possible, but he had a feeling he sounded more tired than anything else.

Jet flashed his maniacal grin again, a look Zuko was becoming all too familiar with. "I gave that airbender _exactly_ what he deserved." He softly touched the side of the Zuko's face, his grin widening when the firebender flinched. "A nice piece of action from a _real_ man. Hard... painful... punishing."

When Jet's prisoner's eyes slowly started to widen in horror, he let out a victorious laugh. "_That's_ right, Ash-Maker. I've claimed him as my own." Jet's eyes rolled up in consideration, missing the dangerous glint in the firebender's eyes. "Gotta say, it wasn't bad. I can see why you favored him so much. Masochistic little slut... The way that boy squirmed when I cut into his back... intoxicating."

Zuko's inner flame, having dimmed over the last couple days from the lack of sun, flared white hot within him. His chest burned with rage, the pain from the last few hours only serving to fuel it. The few candles that flared in response went unnoticed by both, one still reveling in his supposed victory, the other slowly descending into an awareness of only red-hot fury.

Images of the shy, but determined airbender flashed before the forefront of Zuko's mind. Terrified of the world, but trying desperately to please those around him - to live a life - despite everything he'd been through.

_This man... this grinning, gleeful man... is pleased with himself. Is taking an unimaginable amount of **joy** for what he's done._

_This man. Had **raped** Aang._

Jet, lost in his arrogance, missed the subtle signs that his prisoner was doing anything _but_ breaking. His eyes had sharpened in keen awareness, his body deceptively relaxed. "... of course, the point wasn't for him to _enjoy_ himself. The point was to make him see the error of his ways. To teach him to _never_ trust the Fire Nation..."

"You failed," Zuko muttered under his breath.

Jet paused in his monologue when he heard the firebender say something. He knelt back down in front of Zuko, gripping his chin and forcing their eyes to meet. "What was that, Fire Nation?"

Gold eyes met dark brown. Jet was smiling smugly, a glint of sick excitement in his eyes. Zuko, expression initially blank, slowly transformed, lines of wrath forming across his face, teeth baring, his scar highlighting his glare and making him truly terrifying.

_This man is **proud** of what's done._

His inner fire blazed with fury, wild and searing hot. Coiling back in his stomach, the fire sprang back up with a roar of rage, the stream of blue-tinted fire exploding from Zuko's mouth and hitting Jet in the face. Jet jerked back with an unholy scream, the stomach-churning smell of burnt flesh filling the prison.

A wall of earth sprang up between them, effectively cutting Zuko off from any further attacks, but he hardly noticed. "I'LL _KILL_ YOU, YOU SICK PIECE OF _FILTH_!" he screamed, smoke and flames being spat out with every word. "DO YOU HEAR ME? I'LL **KILL** YOU!"

* * *

"JET!" Katara screamed. She pulled the water from her water-skin as she ran up to him. She gagged at the smell of burnt flesh, but knew she couldn't waver. "Jet, let me see!"

Jet was curled on the ground, whimpering in pain. His shaking hands were hovering just over his face. He could only moan in response to Katara's plea.

Sokka, knowing his sister would take care of Jet, ran toward the structure. "Toph! Come with me!" Knowing the little earthbender would be close behind him, he ran in.

He was immediately assaulted by the intense heat and smell of burning flesh. Covering his nose and mouth, he eyed the flashes of light coming from the other side of the wall that punctuated the screams of rage.

Toph ran in, covering her nose as Sokka had. "What on earth did Rockhead _do_?"

Rockhead was Toph's nickname for Jet. Sokka, however, was more concerned with getting the raging firebender to calm down. "Zuko!" Sokka yelled. "It's Sokka!"

The yelling paused for a moment. "Where is he?" Zuko growled, voice dangerously low.

"I'll lower the wall if you _promise_ to keep your fire under control," Sokka said. "I need to talk to you, and I'd rather do it face to face."

There was an unnervingly long bout of silence before a low 'fine' could be heard. Toph, obviously sensing that Zuko was telling the truth, raised her hands into the air and brought them sharply back down, the wall falling back into the ground. Sokka sucked in a quick breath at the sight.

Zuko, whose hands and legs were chained close to the ground, was covered in cuts. Too many to count, covering his torso and arms. Dozens upon dozens of rivulets of blood trailing down towards the ground. Sokka felt nauseous at the purposeful _designs_ etched into the firebender's skin. There were a few dark bruises, but the cuts had obviously been the focus of the morning. The man himself was breathing heavily, probably from a mixture of anger and pain. And blood loss. Definitely blood loss.

However, knowing he had to stay in control, Sokka tried his best to ignore Zuko's state for the time being. "What happened?" he asked.

A sharp glint flashed across Zuko's eyes. "Aang..." he said, an edge of desperation in his voice. "You have to let me see Aang!"

"You just burned off the face of one of our own! There's no way the others are going stand by and let you go _anywhere_."

Zuko's eyes narrowed. "'The others'," he repeated. "What about you?"

Sokka pointed ignored the question. "You realize that whatever Jet said to rile you up... he was probably lying."

"No," Toph said. "I was monitoring them the whole time. Neither of them ever lied."

Zuko's eyes widened a little, body slumping. "You need to check on him," he said quickly. "If you won't let me see him, _fine_, but _someone_ needs to check on him!"

"Don't worry, we have been," Sokka reassured. "My sister has been taking care...of him..."

_This morning's been especially bad,_ Katara's voice echoed in his head._ At least yesterday he was semi-coherent... Today, it's like he's reverted to a small child. Small, tortured, terrified child._

"What did Jet tell you?" he asked, his voice low with trepidation.

Zuko's face transformed into a snarl. "He... raped him..." he growled, voice shaking. "That perverted pig cut him open and _raped_ him!"

A dangerous sense of numbness started to cover Sokka. "Jet told you this?" he asked, deceptively calm.

Seeming to realize that Sokka was on his side, Zuko gave a sharp nod.

The Water Tribesman could hear people outside, no doubt all trying to help move Jet to the healer's tent. "Toph. Did anyone leave the camp last night?"

For a moment, the young girl didn't respond. Then, voice strained, she said, "A few people left during the night, like most nights. Probably just taking a piss."

"Did anyone leave in pairs?"

"... once," she said quietly. "There was one time where a pair of people left together."

Sokka felt a spark of anger. "And you didn't bother _telling_ anyone?"

"It's not like it's an unusual occurrence!" she yelled back. "People leave to do the dirty _all the time_!"

"It was _Jet_ and _Aang_!"

Toph stomped her foot making the ground shake. "I was half asleep! I don't pay attention to who _specifically_ is leaving at all times!"

"Please..."

The pleading voice interrupted their short argument, their attention brought back to the firebender. "Please," Zuko repeated. "Aang... you have to take care of Aang!"

Sokka clenched his fist, the message from the Dragon of the West crinkling in his hand. There was so much he wanted to say. So much he needed to do. But Zuko was right. Aang needed to be their top priority. "I'll be back," Sokka promised. "I'll get all of this figured out!" Without a backward glance, he left, Toph lingering behind for a moment before following him out.

_I'll get all of this figured out._

* * *

"How is he?" Smellerbee asked nervously.

Katara's hands shook as she waved her water-covered hands over Jet's face. Thankfully, Jet had passed out while he was being transported to the healer's tent. "It could have been much worse," she answered honestly.

Obviously, the firebender had used his breath to firebend into Jet's face. Jet had been close enough that his entire face had taken the blow. The heat of the blast had caused some deformation. His lips were twisted, his nose virtually gone, and at least one of his eyes would never recover. Still, it was most likely that Jet would survive this. It would be a long road to recovery, but he would live to fight another day.

Katara's insides were twisted in a tight knot as she focused her healing efforts on his eyes. Everything else, while terrible looking, was purely superficial. His right eyelid had completely melted, almost assuredly destroying the eyeball underneath. As she focused on stabilizing that eye, she also tried to save the left. It wasn't quite as bad, and if she was quick enough, she was sure that it would eventually regain full functionality.

She focused on this task, trying to ignore the rage that boiled within her. Once Jet was stable, she was going to march over to that prison and _make_ that firebender pay. He had tortured and tormented that airbender and now _this_? He'd be lucky if she let him live.

With a defeated sigh, she pulled her arms back, trying not to look at Jet's ruined face. "That's all I can do for now..." she said tiredly.

Lyla and Song, a couple of Earth Kingdom healers, came forward and began applying burn salve and wrapping his face. Katara stood and turned to find Smellerbee quietly crying a few feet away. Longshot had an arm around her shoulders, stoically looking on. Stepping forward, Katara placed a comforting hand on Smellerbee's arm. "Don't worry," she said, trying to keep an upbeat attitude. "Jet'll be fine. It's mostly superficial." Smellerbee didn't stop crying, but she nodded and forced a small smile.

A small breeze came through. When Katara turned towards it, she found Sokka and Toph standing at the entrance. An uncharacteristically solemn look on his face, Sokka nodded toward the outside, indicating for her to follow. Giving Smellerbee's arm one last comforting squeeze, she followed her brother and Toph out.

Once outside, Sokka turned toward his sister, arms crossed and back stiff. "How is he?" he asked.

Katara sighed. "It's hard to tell. Assuming we can keep out infections and I give him regular healing sessions..." She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "He should be fine, if a bit... different looking." Sokka grunted in response. Her mood turning much darker, she asked, "Did you take care of that firebender?" When neither of them immediately gave an answer, "Did you accidentally kill him? 'Cause I have to be honest, _I_ wouldn't be shedding any tears."

Her brother flinched at that. "He's not dead," he responded curtly. "I was able to get him calm down. And I spoke with him."

Katara scoffed at that. "_Why_? He's a monster, Sokka!"

Sokka shook his head. "Katara, listen to me. This is going to sound crazy... but I think you need to check on Aang."

Katara frowned. Out of all the things she had expected her brother to say, that was honestly the last. "Why? I mean, not that I mind checking on him, but it's not exactly a pressing issue at the moment."

"I think it is," Toph said. "Zuko said..."

"_Zuko_? Why on earth should we listen to anything _he_ says?"

"Because he wasn't _lying_," Toph stressed. "Jet told him something... and that something is why he tried to burn off Jet's face. And before you ask...!" she said quickly, obviously sensing that Katara wanted to protest, "I was monitoring them all morning. Whatever Jet said, he was telling the truth."

Katara shook her head in confusion. "What are you talking about? Why does it matter? What on _earth_ does any of this have to do with Aang?"

"Look, can you just check on him?" Sokka asked pleadingly. "Once Aang's been taken care of, I promise, I'll explain everything to you."

Katara narrowed her eyes at her brother. Sokka was hiding something, obviously. She just couldn't understand _why_ he was hiding it from her. Crossing her arms, she let out a curt, "Fine. But tell me one thing first: What did Jet supposedly tell Zuko?"

Sokka hesitated. He looked to Toph for help (once again forgetting that she was incapable of seeing the gesture), before letting out a sigh. "You said yourself that Aang was different today than yesterday. That it seemed as though he 'reverted' to a small child..."

"Get to the point, Sokka."

"Zuko said, quote, _That perverted pig cut him open and raped him_," Toph said bluntly. "_That perverted pig_ being a reference to Jet."

There was a brief silence as Katara's mind slowly processed what Toph was saying. Then, a wave of disbelief and denial hit her. "And you actually _believe_ him?"

"Katara, neither of them were lying," Toph said quietly.

Katara stumbled over her next words, thrown off by how upset Toph seemed. "W-well, you're 'lie-detection' skills must be rusty! There's no _way_ Jet would do such a thing!"

"Well he was certainly all gun-ho for the torture..." Sokka pointed out.

"That's _different_," she stressed. "That firebender is a horrible monster, and Aang..." With a growl of frustration, she spun around and started walking.

"Wait, where are you going?" she heard her brother call to her.

"I'm checking on Aang. I'm going to prove to you that Jet is innocent."

Her impulse was to just barge into where Aang was staying and demand him tell her brother and friend how wrong they were. Thankfully, her logical mind kicked in by the time she got there. Standing just outside, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew that she must look as angry as she felt, and the last thing she wanted to do was to terrify the poor boy after everything he's been through.

_By the end of the day, the Ash-Maker will have paid and we'll be that much closer to ending the war._

The firebender had to be lying. It just couldn't be true. It _couldn't_.

With a deep breath, Katara walked into the tent. As the flap fell behind her, she first didn't see Aang, the candles having burnt so low that they barely illuminated interior. But as her eyes adjusted, she finally saw him curled and shivering in the corner. "Aang?" she said softly, wanting to alert him to her presence. He stiffened a little before continuing to shiver. "It's okay. I'm not here to hurt you..." As she stepped over the airbender's untouched breakfast, she was vaguely aware of Sokka and Toph entering the tent behind her, but she kept her focus on Aang. "I just want to ask you a question."

To everyone's surprise, Aang let out a small sigh before slowly pushing himself up into a sitting position. Waiting on bated breath, the Lotus members watched as the airbender slowly turned around to face them, curling up into the corner, eyes watching them with fear and uncertainty.

Taking it as a good sign, Katara knelt in front of him, staying a few feet away. "Sweetie..." she started quietly. "Did anything... _happen_... last night?" At the look of confusion on Aang's face, Katara sighed and rephrased. "Did something happen... with _Jet_ last night?"

Aang's eyes widened and his breathing quickened. "No, please..."

Katara's stomach dropped. _No... it can't be true. It can't._

Sokka stepped forward. "Did he cut you?" he asked worriedly. "If he did, Katara should look at it before it gets infected."

Aang jerked as Sokka got closer, his breathing bordering on hyperventilation. He shook his head repeatedly, quietly muttering to himself.

Katara turned to Sokka and Toph. "You guys should leave. I think having all three of us here is overwhelming him." When Sokka hesitated, "I promise, I'll tell you what happens. Now get out."

They left without question, recognizing that Katara had gone into her motherly-healer mode. When she turned back, she found Aang staring at her with wide, tearful eyes, pressing himself against the wall as hard as he could. "Aang?"

The airbender swallowed a couple times, never taking his eyes off of her. "Please," he whimpered.

"Please what?" Katara coaxed.

Aang licked his lips, a tear falling down his dirty face. "Please don't kill him..."

Katara frowned. Did he mean Jet? "Sweetheart, we're not going to - "

"Please don't kill Zuko..."

The waterbender froze, staring at the trembling boy before her in disbelief. Here he was, terrified out of his mind and he was begging for the life of the _firebender_? After everything that monster did to him?

_Do you know that?_ a small voice in her head asked. _Do you have definitive proof that the firebender hurt him?_

The airbender winced, which brought Katara back to the issue at hand. "Are you hurt?"

Aang let out a strangled sob, bow his head in shame. "I-it's not bad... I-I've had w-worse...! Just please don't kill him...!"

Katara leaned forward, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We're not going to kill anyone. You hear me? We're not going to kill _anybody_."

Aang cringed at the touch, but didn't shove her away. He glanced up at her for a moment, meeting her eyes briefly before turning away and giving a small nod. "My b-back..." he murmured. "It's r-really okay..."

"I'll be the judge of that." She patted his shoulder lightly. "Can you turn around and lift your shirt?"

He didn't move at first, meeting her gaze again, but this time keeping it. Finally, he quietly muttered, "I'm sorry."

While she was internally tearing apart at the heartbreaking sincerity in his voice, she outwardly smiled. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

He shook his head, but slowly moved so that his back was facing her, gripping the bottom of his shirt and laboriously pulling it over his head.

Katara almost gasped out loud but managed to hold her tongue. Aang's back was nothing but a myriad of scars. She was pretty sure the blue arrow was supposed to go down his back, but it had been completely obscured by that tortures he had been forced to endure. There was not a single piece of skin that wasn't marred by some form of burn or laceration scar.

And then, on top of all that horror, three deep, parallel cuts stretched from his left shoulder to his right hip. Patches of dried, dirty blood decorated his back from the untreated cuts. Untreated... _recent_ cuts.

_They can't be more than twelve hours old..._ the voice pointed out.

_There's no way the firebender could have done this._

_All the evidence is pointing in one direction._

Ignoring her internal monologue, she encased her hands in water and began working on treating the cuts. Aang tensed as she slide the cold, glowing water over his back, but slowly, he began to relax under her touch.

She focused on each cut, cleaning them out and slowly starting to stitch the wounds back together. It was good that the cuts weren't that old. She would probably be able to completely heal them in one session.

_This_ was what was important in this moment. This airbender's well being and nothing else. Once Katara was done and she knew he would be okay, _then_ she would deal with everything else.

Then... and no sooner.

* * *

**See? I imagine this is quite unsatisfying for you guys. I just couldn't find a better break that wouldn't make this chapter _ridiculously_ long.**


	16. Chapter 16

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**Ho-kay... so. I gave up trying to keep my normal chapter word limit. This chapter is the longest so far, but ends in a semi-satisfactory place. This was a difficult chapter to write, and probably not my best, but hey. It keeps the plot moving.**

**Enjoy Chapter 16!**

* * *

Sokka paced back and forth outside. He hated waiting. Hated not being able to do anything.

He uncrumpled the message from Headquarters, rereading it. On one hand, this message made everything simpler. Easier to deal with. It gave him a clear path to pursue. At the same time... it made things more complicated. That is, he wasn't sure how willing his compatriots would be in accepting what the message said.

Toph sighed. "Calm down, Meathead."

"I _am_ calm," Sokka lied.

"Uh huh." Toph pounded her fist on the ground, creating an elevated platform. "Will you at least sit down?"

While he wanted to snap at her and say that he was perfectly content pacing back and forth, he knew that it wouldn't accomplish anything. He might as well _try_ and calm down, right? So he sat down with a discontent grumble.

There was a stretch of silence before Toph sighed again. "So are you gonna tell me what it is?"

"... tell you what _what_ is?"

Toph pointed in the general direction of his hands. "That piece of paper you keep crumpling?"

"Oh." He looked down at the message again. _Well, out of everyone, Toph is the most likely to accept it._ "It's a coded message from the Dragon of the West."

Toph sat up in interest. "Really? How _is_ the old man?"

"Oh, that's right. You've met him before, haven't you?"

"Yeah," she said. "He's the reason I joined the White Lotus." Looking a little dejected, she laid back down on the ground. "Not that I've been doing much good..."

"What?" Sokka said incredulously. "You're kidding, right?"

Toph shrugged. "So what does it say?"

Sokka blinked. "What?"

"The _message_, Snoozles. What does it say?"

"Oh." Sokka looked back down at the parchment in his hand. "The message was sent out to all White Lotus encampments. It basically says to keep a lookout for two Fire Nation fugitives: a firebender with a scar on the left side of his face, and an airbender."

"Fugitives... so Zuko's not in alliance with the Fire Nation."

Sokka gave an affirmative grunt. "Also... it says that if we find them, that we should treat them as such and bring them to Headquarters."

Toph sat up again. "What? Really?" She didn't wait for Sokka to respond. "How important are they that the _Dragon of the West_ wants them brought in?"

"Well... it _is_ an airbender. The first one to be seen in a hundred years. I could imagine the White Lotus would want to keep such a person as safe as possible."

Toph let out a humourless bark of laughter. "And what a _great_ job we've done so far... Wait a minute; That message says that we should be treating them well, right?"

The Water Tribesman let out a long sigh. "Yeah."

Toph pointed in the direction of the tent where Zuko was being held. "Shouldn't we be releasing him and healing him up?"

Sokka let out a growl of frustration. "I know! It's just..." he indicated the tent behind them. "I have to make sure Katara is okay with it before I actually do anything. Besides me and Jet, you and Katara are probably the most influential people here. If I try and help Zuko while Katara still thinks he's a bad guy, the whole camp will turn on me!"

Toph scoffed. "Good luck with that. Sugar Queen is _clearly_ in denial."

Burying his face in his hands, Sokka let out a long sigh. "She may be in denial, but that wouldn't stop her from helping people who need it." He rubbed his face a couple times, trying to clear his head. "She'll come around. She always does."

With that said, they waited for Katara to finish healing the airbender, unsure of what else to do in the meantime. Thankfully, it wasn't much later that Katara emerged, face ashen and looking more exhausted than she should be.

"How is he?" Toph asked.

"Resting," Katara said quietly.

Sokka quickly stood and approached his sister, who was currently staring at the ground in front of her. His worry increasing, Sokka gripped Katara's arms gently, letting her know that he was there for her. Katara looked up to meet her brother's gaze, smiling weakly. Her eyes were red and her cheeks tearstained. "Katara?" Sokka said hesitantly. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "No, Sokka. I am anything _but_ okay..."

When she didn't offer any more than that, Sokka held up the message. "I need to talk to you about Zuko."

* * *

Time was passing slowly. Much more slowly than when Jet had been torturing him. He almost wished Jet was still torturing him. The sharp, inflicted pain would have been a welcoming distraction from the deep pit of dread in his stomach.

Zuko tried to change the position of his body, but he was chained down too well. His muscles were aching terribly from not being able to move for hours. His legs had gone numb, which worried the firebender. If blood was cut off from his hands and legs for too long, would it damage them permanently? How long could he be like this before irreparable damage had been done?

He honestly preferred worrying about himself. He tried to avoid thinking about Jet or Aang. Those thoughts only led to anger, desperation, and an utter feeling of helplessness.

Jet had raped Aang. Jet had _raped_ Aang. While it was unreasonable for Zuko to blame himself, he couldn't help it. He had sworn to himself that he would protect Aang. He took him out of the palace so that he could begin to live and thrive.

Then they admitted their feelings to each other and it couldn't get much better. For the first time in his life, Zuko had been _happy_. He may have been on the run, but he was with this amazing person. And this person seemed to be just as happy as he was.

Of course, the Spirits couldn't have life going smoothly for him. They never made his life easy before, there was no reason for them to start now.

But it wasn't enough to make _him_ miserable. No. They had to drag Aang in. Aang, who had suffered more than was ever reasonable, was suddenly being tortured along with him.

Zuko tensed, tears running down his face. Why Aang? Of all people, _why Aang?_ He had never done anything wrong. He was most caring, wonderful person Zuko had ever met. He didn't deserve _any of this_. Why Aang? Why Aang?

_I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry, Aang..."_

Why Aang?

* * *

Katara's eyes swiveled between Sokka and Toph. "Why?"

"Why what?" Sokka asked.

"Why does the Dragon of the West want us to bring them to Headquarters?"

The Water Tribesman shrugged. "We don't know why. Probably because Aang is first airbender we've seen in nearly a hundred years. But that's not the point. Katara..."

"We need to take care of Zuko," Toph pointed out. "Which means you need to heal him up and we need to move him to better accommodations before we head out."

Katara didn't respond at first. She turned to look back at tent she just emerged from. With a soft sigh, her eyes welling up tears and she croaked, "Zuko... that's all he cared about... _Don't kill Zuko._" Closing her eyes, she shook her head. "If I even _mentioned_ Jet, he would become borderline hysterical..."

She turned to Toph. "They weren't lying," she stated quietly, resignation clear in her voice.

Sokka placed an arm around her shoulders, and she leaned in for a moment, gripping his hand. Then, she looked in the direction of the prison with a deep breath. Shrugging off her brother, she marched with determination.

"Katara?" Sokka called from behind her.

"It's time to set things right."

"_Finally_," Toph said exasperated.

When they got to the prison, without any hesitation, Katara shoved the curtain aside and entered, Sokka and Toph close behind.

Katara froze in her steps. She thought she had been prepared for the sight she knew awaited her, but she was wrong.

Even in the dull glow of the candles, she could clearly see what a horrible state the firebender was in. Dozens upon dozens of cuts and lines of dried blood decorated his body. The position his body had been forced in was putting an unnatural strain on him. All of this barely hid the fact that he was incredibly skinny. She was able to discern too much of his skeletal structure.

The firebender was currently staring at the ceiling, seemingly unaware of the newcomers. Katara's heart wrenched painfully when she realized that he was crying, his lips moving silently.

"Toph, get those chains off of him."

With a short nod, Toph approached Zuko and used her metalbending to easily yank off the manacles that kept him in place. With a soft moan, Zuko fell bonelessly sideways, letting out a grunt of pain when he hit the ground.

Toph jumped back. "His fingers..."

Katara mostly ignored the earthbender, taking out her water and running it over the firebender's leg which she knew would be cramped from being in that position for so long.

Sokka, curious about Toph's reaction, stepped to the other side of structure where he could get a better look at Zuko's hands. "Oh, Spirits..." he cursed.

Zuko looked up at Katara with unfocused eyes, wincing as she worked on his legs. "W-what are y-you...?"

Katara gave a strained smile, eyes focused on her bending. "My name's Katara," she said softly. "I'm here to help."

As he started to emerge from his catatonic state, Zuko's eyes widened and he tried to move, but when he did, he let out a sharp hiss of pain. Giving up on that endeavor, he looked around and noticed Sokka and Toph. "Aang...?"

Sokka placed a hand on his shoulder. "He's okay for now. Katara took care of him."

Zuko relaxed minutely. Mind obviously whirring, he looked at his discarded chains and at the healer. "Why are you doing this?" Katara tensed for a moment, barely noticeable by most observers, but Zuko could feel it through the healing water.

"We know now that you're a fugitive of the Fire Nation," Sokka started slowly. He looked guiltily up and down Zuko's body. "None of this should have happened. I'm sorry."

Despite himself, Zuko let out a chuckle. "It's okay. It's understandable, I guess..." His eyes began to close, his body sagging into the ground.

_He's exhausted_, Katara noted. _For good reason_. She pulled the water away from from his legs and shifted it to his head.

Zuko flinched back, eyes widening. "What are you doing?"

"You need to relax," she said calmly, placing her water-covered hands on either side of his head. "I can heal you, but more than anything, you need to rest."

Obviously fighting against his exhaustion, he lethargically shook his head. "Can't... Aang... I n-need to see Aang..."

Katara gave him serious look. "Do you really want Aang to see you in this state?"

He stared at her for a moment, and her heart skipped a beat. One of his eyes in a permanent glare, the pure intensity of emotion in eyes was almost overwhelming. He was silently pleading with her, but she was persistent. "Rest. I promise, you can see Aang after you wake up."

Zuko shook his head again, but his eyes were closing despite himself. Katara rubbed her hands against his temples, helping him to fall asleep. Finally, body sagging into the ground, Zuko closed his eyes and fell unconscious.

With a deep sigh, Katara replaced her water back into her waterskin. "We need to move him to the healer's tent." Zuko wasn't the only one who needed rest. After having worked on Jet's face and Aang's back, she was too exhausted to do much else for the firebender. In the meantime, Lyla and Song could start working on treating Zuko's injuries.

"I don't think putting Zuko and Jet in the same tent is such a good idea," Toph said.

That was a good point. "Well then, we can just make him his own tent. Song or Lyla can treat him there. Toph, can you use your earthbending to transport him to the edge of town?"

Toph nodded. "No problem." She stamped the ground, raising Zuko's unconscious body up and proceeded to carry him away.

Sokka raised an eyebrow. "Why not just treat him here?"

Katara indicated the blood and chains on the ground. "He was _tortured_ here, Sokka. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to stay in this place of horror."

Sokka cringed. "Point taken."

Feeling herself fade, she slowly stood up. "I'm going to get some sleep. I'll be able to start healing again once I've rested up. In the meantime, you should inform everyone about what's going on and start preparations to leave."

"Hey," Sokka responded indignantly, "Who put _you_ in charge?"

"Sokka..." Katara moaned tiredly. "This is not the time or the place."

Her brother raised his hands up defensively. "Alright, alright..." Becoming more serious, Sokka stepped up to his sister and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Go get some rest. It's going to be a long couple of days."

Katara scoffed. "If we're lucky, it'll be _only_ a couple days."

* * *

Zuko had a long, dreamless sleep. At least, that's what if felt like when he finally began to wake. As awareness took hold, he cringed slightly as his whole body moaned at him with a deep ache. Before he could even open his eyes, his head started to pound, amplifying every tiny noise around him. He let out a sharp hiss when his fingers twitched involuntarily, sharp tendrils of pain shooting up his arm.

"Hey, you awake?"

There was something awfully familiar about that voice. His curiosity overriding his better judgement, he slowly opened his eyes, only to slam them back shut with a moan at the too bright light.

"Oh, one second." The sound of movement, followed by the sound of heavy blankets being moved. From behind his eyelids, Zuko could tell see the light decreasing. "Is that better?"

Slowly opening his eyes, he found that the overall luminosity was tolerable and gave a small nod.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed a brief flash of blue. Turning his head, he watched the girl, who was clearly Water Tribe, pour some sort of hot liquid into a teacup.

"It tastes horrible," she said. "But it'll help with the pain." She turned and sat on the ground next to Zuko, holding the cup to his mouth.

Determined not to be treated like an invalid, Zuko reached up to grab the cup from her, only to let out a small yelp of pain when he tried to curl his fingers.

"Careful! Three of your fingers are broken on that hand!"

Looking down, he looked strips of white bandages wrapped around his middle three fingers. Lifting his other hand, he found similar bandaging on his pinky and ring finger.

_Right... Jet..._

"Here." The Water Tribe girl placed a hand under his head, helping him sit up so he could sip on the concoction. Gritting his teeth, knowing he didn't really have another option, he let the girl help. The edge of the cup pressed to his lips, he slowly drained the cup, resisting the urge to spit it out. It was similar tasting to the tea Uncle had given him after his disastrous Agni Kai.

As the girl placed the cup down, Zuko focused on her face, trying to remember where he had seen her before. "Do I...know you?" he rasped.

The girl gave a strained smile. "I'm Katara. I was there just before you fell unconscious."

Ah, that's right. She was the healer. The waterbender. "Aang?" he asked.

A pained look crossed her face before it went carefully neutral. "He's fine. Physically, at least... I looked over him, healed any wounds I saw. There doesn't seem to be any permanent damage from... what... Jet did," she said quietly.

Zuko's insides clenched, the image of Aang being violated by that sick sadist involuntarily flashing to the forefront of his mind. Shifting his elbows, he slowly started to sit up. "You have to let me see him..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..." Katara placed her hands on his shoulders and - all too easily - pushed him back down. "You're in no condition to be doing _anything_ right now."

"Is he eating?" Zuko asked, panic starting to seize him. "Has he spoken to anyone? Is he even _responding_?"

"Calm. Down." Katara said sternly. "I'm not kidding. You won't be doing yourself _or_ Aang any favors by hurting yourself even more."

"I'm _fine_," he growled. He had to see Aang. He _had_ to. He would never be certain that Aang was okay until he could see it for himself. Even though there was no doubt in his mind that Aang was _not_ okay.

With an annoyed huff, she gestured his body. "Have you even _looked_ at yourself? You look _terrible_. You're covered in cuts and bruises, your hands are a mess, and you're so skinny you look like a skeleton. Aang clearly cares about you. Can you imagine how it would affect him if he saw you like this?"

He, unfortunately, saw her point. If Aang saw him in this state, where he was barely able to sit up, the airbender would probably go into a panic. Or even worse, blame himself.

Clenching his fists, he gave a curt nod. "Then hurry up and make me look presentable," he mumbled discontentedly. Were he in better condition, he'd simply get up and find Aang on his own. As it was, even lifting his arm took more energy than it should.

Katara's expression softened. "I know you're worried about him... with good reason," she added quickly. "But I can assure you: he's safe."

"Just like he was safe with _Jet_," he spat at her bitterly.

Almost immediately, the waterbender's eyes filled with tears. "No," she said, voice surprisingly strong. "_Much_ more safe than that."

It might have been her tears. Or maybe her determination. Either way, Zuko felt his chest tighten as he realized that he believed her. He didn't exactly trust her, but he believed that she wanted to help them. Was _trying_ to help them.

With this wary acceptance, he closed his eyes and tried to relax. He flinched slightly as Katara placed her water-covered hands over his arm, moving slowly back and forth. It was cold at first, but as his muscles relaxed, he found it rather soothing, the pain on his arm slowly dissipating.

The waterbender worked slowly, first working on his arms, then starting on his chest. As she continued to work, Zuko became more and more relaxed, falling into a peaceful state somewhere between awake and asleep.

After a while, Katara let out a loud sigh and pulled the water away. When Zuko opened his eyes questioningly, she said, "I need a break and you need to eat."

With a nod, Zuko sat up, surprised to find that it was easier to move. Look down at his arms, his eyes widened to find that they were nearly unscathed. The only visible marks were a couple of long, pink lines that indicated where the deeper cuts had been. Besides a little stiffness in the muscles, there was virtually no indication of the previous abuse. "That's amazing..." he mumbled.

Katara smiled. "Waterbending," she replied in explanation. "Thankfully, besides your fingers, your wounds are insignificant enough that it doesn't take too much to completely heal of them. There's just... a lot of them." Looking uncomfortable, she quickly said, "I'll be right back. I'm going to get us some food." With that, she quickly stood and left without a backward glance.

_Food_... Given his current state, some food would probably do him some good. Maybe it would help with this persistent headache and dizziness.

The waterbender returned with a couple bowls of steaming soup. It was thick and savory, filled with large chunks of vegetables and meat. Zuko devoured it in less than a minutes. Katara smiled sadly. "If only we could get Aang so eager to eat..."

Zuko's grip on the bowl tightened. He briefly glancing at his arms before looking up at Katara. "How do I look?"

She shook her head, already knowing what he was going to ask. "Absolutely not. You need to _rest_."

"I'm not going to be able to '_rest_' until I can see Aang," he growled. "You just admitted to me that he's not eating! How can you expect me to just sit here?" When she visibly hesitated, he asked again, "How. Do. I. Look?"

Biting her lip, her eyes scanned his body. "There's still a lot of work to do..." she said quietly.

"Then give me a shirt!" Zuko snapped. He was quickly losing his patience. "You say he's fine, but I know that there's no way he could be alright! You _have_ to let me see him. And if you don't, I will find him on my own and there is _nothing_ you or anyone else could do to stop me!"

For a moment, he thought Katara was going to keep insisting that he needed to take care of himself before Aang. But with a small sigh, she said, "You're right..." Eyes filling with tears she said, "He barely spoken at all since... that night. All he's said..." She looked Zuko in the eye. "All he cared about was making sure you were okay."

Zuko suddenly felt nauseous and lightheaded again. _After everything that's happened to him... He was thinking about **me**? It's practically my fault he was even **raped**. Jet did it to get to **me**..._

Katara closed her eyes and shook her head. When she opened her eyes, her tears were gone, replaced with a look of determination. "Let me get you a shirt. Then I'll take you to Aang."

Zuko nodded eagerly. "Also, food," he said quickly as she left the tent. "Food with no meat. He's a vegetarian! I can get him to eat, just give me food without meat!" The waterbender nodded in understanding.

He leaned back against the side of the stone tent, trying to force himself to breathe evenly. He was filled with a mixture of excitement and dread. He probably should be more curious as to why these supposed White Lotus members have suddenly had a change in heart in their treatment of him, but at the moment, he couldn't care less about what was going on around him.

He had to see Aang. He was _going_ to see Aang. Once he made sure Aang was okay... _then_ he would deal with everything else.

Then... and no sooner.

Katara was back within minutes, carrying a plain dark green shirt and a bowl of plain rice. "I doubt he'd be able to handle anything more complicated," she stated in explanation. Zuko nodded as he pulled the shirt over his head. He didn't care, as long as he could Aang to eat.

When they left the tent, Zuko realized that it was at the edge of the encampment. Far away enough to be left alone, close enough to not be conspicuously isolated.

It was midday, the sun bright and high in the sky, making Zuko's ache. But since it wasn't the splitting pain he had experienced before, he didn't care. He was going to see Aang. That was all that mattered.

As they made their way into the camp, Zuko noticed some people staring at them. However, after a few pointed glares from the waterbender, they looked away returned to their duties.

Finally, Katara pointed towards a small tent which was at the end of a row of identical tents. "He's in there."

_He's in there... Aang is **in there**._

Without any hesitation, Zuko practically ran to the tent, bursting in through the curtain. Then he froze.

Aang was curled in the far corner, legs curled up against the wall, arms wrapped around his head, face hidden. He was visibly trembling, but otherwise unmoving, seemingly unaware of his visitor.

Katara entered the tent behind him, making a small noise of surprise to find Zuko standing stiff just on the other side of the curtain. She looked back and forth between the catatonic airbender and the frozen firebender. "Zuko?" she asked quietly.

Zuko tried vainly to swallow down the lump in his throat, eyes never leaving Aang's form. Only vaguely aware that someone else had spoken, he numbly stepped forward. His breathing hitched as Jet's account of the rape echoed in his head. Determined to focus only on Aang, he dug his nails painfully into his palm.

He slowly fell to his knees about a foot away from Aang, who still showed no indication of being aware of his presence. Zuko was suddenly reminded of the first night they had spent together. Before Aang had known who he was, he had shied away from Zuko, trembling and terrified. The prince, having been completely out of his element, simply kneeled in front of him, not knowing what else to do. And now, months after that initial encounter, Zuko found himself in the same position; kneeling in front of the terrified airbender, completely at a loss for what he should do.

"Aang..." Zuko said, his voice cracking. His eyes filled with tears, but he didn't care or even notice. "I... am _so_ sorry..." He had apologized back then, too. But back then, he had been apologizing for the horrid actions of his people and of his family. Now, Zuko was apologizing for suffering he himself had caused. None of this would have happened had Aang not been with him.

"Z-Zuko...?"

The firebender's eyes widened. Aang, still curled into the corner, had lowered his arms and was staring at him with equally large eyes.

Encouraged by the lack of resentment in Aang's eyes, Zuko scooted forward and placed a hand on the airbender's shoulders, gently touching their foreheads together. "I'm here..." Zuko whispered, a silent tear finally falling down his face. He placed his other hand on the side of Aang's face, cradling it. "_Agni_, I'm so sorry..."

Even with their proximity, Aang was still staring at Zuko with disbelief, as though he thought that the firebender was going to disappear any second. Tentatively, he raised his hand and made to touch Zuko's face. Zuko retreated a couple inches to make it easier for the airbender, willing to do anything to reassure him that he was, in fact, here.

Aang ghosted his fingers over Zuko's skin, eyes darting back and forth as they searched his face. When his fingers made contact with Zuko's scar, they froze. In the following moment, gray eyes settled on golden yellow ones.

His expression twisting in grief, Aang let out a strangled sob. "You're _alive_..." he breathed.

Unable to take it anymore, Zuko pulled the airbender in a tight embrace, threading his fingers in Aang's hair and holding him close. Aang returned the embrace with equal fervor, wrapping his arms around Zuko's chest tightly, trembling as he openly sobbed into the nook of the firebender's neck. "You're here..." Aang murmured softly between sobs and hiccups. "You're _here_..."

"I'm here," Zuko echoed, unbidden tears falling down his face and into Aang's hair. "I'm here for good. I swear upon Agni's name, Aang... I'm not going anywhere."

With the two tortured souls finally finding solace in one another, the third was nothing less than an intruder. Recognizing this, the daughter of the moon placed down the bowl of rice and quietly retreated. When she was a sufficient distance away where she knew she would not be heard, she buried her face in her hands and finally let go.

* * *

**Yay! Finally reunited! **

**This was the original ending to the last chapter. It would have been SO LONG! XP**

**Anyway, hope you all enjoyed! Leave a review and let me know what you thought!**


	17. Chapter 17

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**This chapter ended up being more Katara-heavy than I first imagined it. But I'm okay with it. I need the practice writing female characters. It's also a bit slower than I first wanted it to be, but I'm slowly but surely making my way through the plot.**

**My new job allows me to write for more than I thought I would be able to, so hopefully I'll be able to eek out updates faster :P**

**Enjoy Chapter 17!**

* * *

_Eyes closed in bliss, Aang let out a low moan as his tongue slid against Zuko's. Strong arms gripping his sides, their bodies moving back and forth against each other in harmony._

_A small smile playing across his lips, Aang whispered, "I love you."_

_"Of course you do, you Fire Nation **whore**."_

_Aang's eyes snapped open, only to find that he was mid-kiss with Jet. Snapping his head back, he felt sick to his stomach as he hastily wiped his mouth._

_"Greedy little thing..." Jet said with a smile, eyes gleaming. Hands gripping Aang's arms painfully, he leaned forward and whispered almost reverently, "I wonder what that Fire Nation trash thinks of you now that you're tainted."_

_Aang let out a scream as something entered him. Hands were suddenly all over him, invading him, all grasping for their turn. They all violated him, pounding into him with no mercy. No reprieve. No matter how much he begged. No matter how much he cried._

_Again and again and again..._

_Suddenly, he was slammed into the ground. He whimpered and trembled, eyes tightly shut as he tried to disappear._

_"Aang..." Gyatso's voice echoed. "What have you done?"_

_By some foreign will, Aang's eyes opened. Only to be faced with a pair of cold, dead, golden eyes._

* * *

Aang's eyes snapped open with a strangled gasp. At first, all he was aware of was the physical phantoms of his nightmare still assaulting his body. He squeezed his eyes shut and curled in on himself, willing the feeling of violation to go away.

Then, the image of Zuko's eyes, _Zuko's dead eyes_, flashed in the forefront of his mind, making him cringe and whimper. Tears started to leak out from behind his eyelids as he desperately wished for for everything to just _end_.

But then, as the last vestiges of his nightmare faded, Aang became aware of the pair of warm, strong arms wrapped around him. A hand was gently stroking his hair, soft words being muttered into his ear.

"It's okay... Nothing's going to hurt you... Not while _I'm_ here..."

Finally working up the courage to open his eyes, Aang turned his head up to see Zuko looking down upon him. Eyes bright and _alive_ with fear and concern. Then, guilt rising up in him, he looked back down. He didn't mean to wake Zuko up or worry him. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"No, no... It's fine..." Zuko's arms tightened. "_Believe_ me..."

Aang shook his head, but didn't say any more. Instead he buried his face into the firebender's shoulder, relishing the familiar scent of ash and fire lilies.

_Please don't leave... Please don't leave me..._

* * *

"You need to eat something," Zuko stressed. Aang stubbornly shook his head.

It was hard to believe that it had only been a couple days ago that they had been captured by the White Lotus. Just a couple days ago, they had been living contently. They may have been on the run, but they were _happy_.

Now, it seemed to Zuko that they were broken beyond repair.

After their emotional reunion the previous night, Zuko had tried to get Aang to eat some of the rice Katara had left behind, but the airbender had refused. Instead, he just clung to Zuko, largely laconic. Both exhausted, they had fallen asleep soon after that.

And as expected, the night was plagued with nightmares. Even when Aang would wake up, he was mostly incoherent, muttering apologies and begging Zuko not to leave. While Zuko reassured him that he wasn't going anywhere, he was pretty sure that Aang didn't even hear him. Thankfully, the airbender would fall right back to sleep fairly easily. Zuko, on the other hand, barely got any restful sleep. His worry for Aang was overtaking his body's desperate need for rest.

It was mid-morning, and the camp was already noisy with life. Zuko instinctively held Aang tighter whenever the voices outside became distinctive. Fortunately, no one had entered the tent or disturbed them at all. Zuko didn't want to have to deal with any of these people.

Now if only he could get Aang to _eat_ something.

"Do you want something a bit more interesting than just rice?" he asked hopefully. "I bet I can go get you some vegetables or fruit..."

Aang shook his head again, gripping Zuko's shirt in a death grip and leaning into him harder. "'M not hungry..." he mumbled.

Zuko huffed. "You haven't eaten in a couple days. Honestly, I don't care if you're hungry or not. You need to eat."

Aang shook his head, his brown hair flopping around wildly at his insistence.

Realizing that he was getting nowhere, Zuko placed the bowl of - admittingly stale - rice aside and wrapped his arms around Aang with a sigh. Resting his face on the top of the airbender's head, he asked, "How did you sleep?" He knew exactly how Aang had slept, but he hoped to encourage Aang to speak up. To say _anything_, really.

As expected, Aang simply shrugged. "You?" he asked quietly.

"I slept fine," Zuko lied. He closed his eyes for a moment, just allowing himself to breathe in the airbender's scent. This person in his arms had suffered more than anyone he's ever known. And after seeing how Jet's actions had affected him, it made him feel incredibly angry... and helpless.

"I love you," Zuko whispered. "You know that, right?"

Aang's breathing hitched as he gave a shaky nod. "Me, too," he mumbled. "I-I-I mean... I love you, too..." A small sob escaped him. "I am _so_ sorry..."

The firebender stiffened. "No," he growled. He placed his hands on Aang's shoulders and gently pushed him back, forcing their eyes to make contact. "You do _not_ need to apologize. Do you hear me?" Aang's eyes went wide and Zuko's heart wrenched at the small amount of fear he saw in their gray depths, but he knew he needed to get this through the airbender's head. "Absolutely _none_ of this is your fault. You did _nothing_ wrong. _Jet_ did this to you. This is _his_ fault. He's a piece of filth for doing this to you. You... You've withstanded the most sickening horrors and here you are... beautiful... strong... and enduring..."

A myriad of emotions were flashing through Aang's eyes, tears falling silently. He trembled violently in Zuko's grip. "N-no... Zuko, I-I'm not..."

"_Yes you are_. You are the best person I've ever met." Zuko gave a little sideways smile. "Even if most people I've had the pleasure of knowing are of questionable character."

Aang smiled weakly. "You're wrong..." he whispered through tears. "But I'll stop apologizing if you want me to."

Zuko sighed. "You should stop apologizing because you have nothing to apologize _for_." He smiled. "But I'll take what I can get." He brought Aang in for a fierce hug. "I love you."

Aang relaxed against his chest, wrapping his arms around Zuko's middle. "I love you, too."

* * *

"What's going on?" Smellerbee asked.

Sokka turned away from the map he had been looking at. "We're getting ready to leave. We've been called to Headquarters. Someone should have already told you to pack your stuff..."

"I have," she said. "And that's not what I'm talking about." When the Water Tribesman frowned at her, she elaborated. "I'm talking about _Jet_."

Sokka visibly stiffened. He, Katara, and Toph hadn't exactly been forthcoming with the rest of the camp about what really happened between Jet and their prisoners. They had agreed that it would cause unnecessary unrest, and that they should just be quiet about it until they reach Headquarters. There, they would make sure Jet faced justice.

It apparently never occurred to them just how concerned Smellerbee (and probably Longshot) would be.

"Katara's been acting... strange around him," Smellerbee continued. "She's just so _emotionless_ when she treats him now. Not like she did at first. It's almost like she's detached."

"She has a lot on her mind," Sokka offered as explanation.

Smellerbee shook her head. "No, it's _more_ than that. The firebender."

"What about him?

"You guys let that Ash-Maker out of the prison, then you treat his injuries (which he deserved, by the way), and _then_ you just leave him in a tent by _himself_ with the airbender?"

Sokka pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's complicated, Smellerbee."

"_Complicated_? He's Fire Nation! He _burned_ Jet's _face_ off! What are you guys _thinking_?"

Sokka dearly wished his sister would suddenly show up and take care of this. He did not want to be the one to explain to Smellerbee what Jet had done. He didn't think he'd be able to handle the fallout. "Look, I really don't have time for this. I need to get everyone ready to leave. Go and help Longshot and the others secure the food." When she opened her mouth again to argue, he said sternly, "We'll talk about it _later_."

She stared at him for a moment, arms crossed across her chest and clearly unhappy. Then she let out a curt _fine_ and walked off. Sokka let out a sigh of relief.

"How is everything?"

The Water Tribesman rolled his eyes. "Oh, so _now_ you decide to show up? I coulda used you here a minute ago."

Katara raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What?"

Sokka waved his hand in dismissal. "Nevermind. We'll deal with it later."

"Deal with _what_ later?"

He growled in frustration. "_Later_, Katara."

She crossed her arms across her just, not unlike Smellerbee had done a few moments ago. "No. Tell me now."

Sokka rolled his eyes. Unlike Smellerbee, he knew he wouldn't be able to convince Katara to temporarily let it go. "It's Smellerbee. She wants an explanation for Jet and Zuko."

Katara deflated at that. "It doesn't surprise me. Longshot was asking question earlier. I... I don't really know how to tell them. They're Jet's best friends."

"Well... we managed to tell you, and you're his girlfriend..."

She shot him a glare. "_Was_ his girlfriend."

Sokka scoffed. "No argument here. We'd have a serious problem if you still wanted to date that creep."

Katara shook her head. "It's... it's not _I'm_... h-handling it particularly well... And they've known him long for much longer than I have."

The Water Tribesman's eyes narrowed in sympathy. He stepped forward to put an arm around his sister. "Katara..."

She held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks. "Not right now. This isn't the time. We need to get ready to leave. Not to mention figure out a way to explain things to Smellerbee and Longshot..."

More than anything, he wanted to comfort his sister, but she obviously didn't want him to. "You need to take care of yourself, too, you know."

She looked mildly offended at this. "I _am_ taking care of myself. Heck, I take care of myself, you, Toph and a whole lot of others."

Sokka managed a small smile. "I know."

The topic clearly dismissed, Katara said, "Everyone's packing their share of things. We've got people securing the food and supplies. Toph is starting to take down all the tents. What else do you need me to do?"

Sokka looked around their camp, watching everyone completing their designated tasks. "I think we're mostly good..." He nodded his head in the direction of the row of tents yet to be taken down. "Which means you should probably get them ready them ready to go."

Katara bit her lip. "Right..."

No one had entered or exited the airbender's tent since Katara led Zuko there the previous day. They had given orders that no one was to enter or disturb the tent except for Katara, Sokka, and Toph without permission. As it were, no one had the courage to even go anywhere near it.

No one had the courage to face their mistakes.

The Water Tribesman was about to his sister that it was okay, he'd deal with them. However, Katara took a deep breath and nodded confidently. "I can do that," she said, mostly to herself than to her brother, before making her way to the tent.

Sokka's insides churned uncomfortably as he watched his sister's retreating form. He shook his head and refocused on the map before him, tracing his finger over the possible route they were going to take. He was the leader; he couldn't worry himself over things he had no control over. He needed to get a lot done before they headed out if he was going to get his little contingent to Headquarters safely in one piece.

* * *

Katara was determined. She was going to forcibly ignore her tumultuous feelings and help get Aang and Zuko ready to go. If possible, she wanted to give Zuko another healing session before they headed out. However, considering Zuko wanted to be discreet about his injuries _and_ would probably be near impossible to separate from the airbender at this point, she wasn't sure how she was going to accomplish that.

She paused in front of the tent's entrance for moment. Then, before she could psych herself out, she said, "It's Katara. I'm coming in." When she entered the tent, she was unsurprised to find the two huddled together in the far corner. She took a brief note of the bowl of rice she had given them the day before nearby them. "We're heading out soon. You guys should eat before then."

Zuko, who had his arms protectively around Aang, gave a stiff shrug. "We're not hungry."

Katara frowned at this. "Well, you'll both need your strength while we move out. We travel at a pretty fast pace." She picked up the untouched bowl of rice, then stood and turned to exit the tent. "I'm getting you guys some food. I'll be right back." She rushed out of the tent toward where Longshot and Smellerbee were taking care of the food. She picked up some chopsticks and a couple of bowls before filling them with leftovers from breakfast, careful to exclude meat from one of them.

She went back to the tent, placed the bowls so they were reaching distance of Zuko then sat back. She crossed her arms across her chest, indicating the bowls with a nod of her head. "Eat that. Then we'll get ready to go."

Zuko's eyes bounced back and forth between the bowls and Katara. Katara was pretty sure she was imagining it, but she thought she saw a little bit of amusement in his eyes. Finally, the firebender unwrapped one of his arms from Aang and grabbed the bowl that didn't have any meat and held it in front of the airbender. Aang's nose wrinkled at the sight of it and he turned his head away. With a small huff, Zuko nudged Aang and held the bowl closer to the airbender's face. Aang looked up Zuko with an almost pleading expression, but Zuko didn't back down.

It was at this point that Aang looked at Katara. When their eyes met, the waterbender had to hold back a surprised gasp. Aang's deep gray eyes were intense with _anger_, the last emotion she would have expected to see. He gazed at her for an uncomfortably long time, all the while maintaining the same level of intensity.

Eventually, he looked away. Purposefully extracting himself from Zuko's arms, he grabbed the bowl and slowly started eating. However, his face seemed stuck in a scowl and his hands were shaking.

At first, Zuko seemed a little taken back by Aang's behaviour, but then just smiled and started eating his own breakfast. "So, where are we going?"

Katara had been so engrossed and fascinated by their silent interactions that she didn't comprehend the question at first. "What?"

"You said we're heading out soon. Heading out to where?"

For the briefest of moments, she was confused. Then it occurred to her that they had never actually explained to them the letter they had received from Headquarters and why their treatment had changed so drastically. _Dammit! Of course it would fall on me to have to explain all of this!_ "We're going to the White Lotus Headquarters."

Zuko froze mid-bite. His eyebrows narrowed in suspicion. "Why?" he asked carefully.

Katara took a deep breath. _Oh, how to explain this..._ "Yesterday morning, while Jet was... you know..."

"Torturing me," the firebender said bluntly, causing both Katara and Aang to stiffen. Without taking his gaze off of Katara, Zuko placed a hand on Aang's knee and squeezed it.

Katara gulped. "Right. During that, we received a coded message from Headquarters." She hesitated for a moment, not sure if she should go into such detail about the workings of the White Lotus. Then decided that none of this information could possibly compromise the organization. "It contained orders direction from the head of the White Lotus. It said that if we ever found a pair of persons matching your descriptions, we should treat you as fugitives of the Fire Nation and bring you to Headquarters."

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "The head of the White Lotus...?" His voice trembling, almost as if he was scared.

The waterbender nodded. "I know; it seems strange that he would have such an interest in a couple of fugitives..."

"Who is he?" Zuko blurted earnestly. "Who heads the White Lotus?"

She blinked in surprise. "Why? Who do _you_ think it is?"

"Just tell me who it is!" he said impatiently.

"I can't tell you! Not only do I have no idea why he wants to see you, I actually don't even know myself!"

Zuko looked shocked. "You don't know who organizes all of the White Lotus? The main resistance against the _Fire Nation_?"

Katara scowled. "I imagine it's for protection. You don't just blabber your identity out when the most powerful nation in the world is out for your head!"

Zuko turned his head away angrily, muttering something to himself. But Katara could see something more than just anger in his eyes. An edge of desperation softened his rage. It confused her, but the mother in her wanted to help assuage any fears he may be having. "I wouldn't worry," she said. "The letter was clear that you were supposed to be treated well. I don't think the message would have told us to do so if the Dragon of the West wanted you captured or killed."

Zuko's head snapped back, his uninjured eye wide. "Who?"

"Oh, well we know the head of the White Lotus as the Dragon of the West. Not sure why..."

The firebender stared at her for a moment longer before closing his eyes and bowing his with a smile. When he opened his eyes, he had begun eating again. "Thank you, Katara."

If she hadn't been confused before, she sure was now. "What for?" she asked incredulously. "I feel we've all failed _spectacularly_ to actually protect innocent people. Which was the reason my brother and I originally joined the White Lotus..."

"Just... Thank you. For everything."

Katara shook her head adamantly. "No..." she murmured, voice breaking. "You shouldn't be thanking me." As quickly as she could, she stood and fled the tent, leaving behind a very confused firebender.

She couldn't do it. She couldn't sit there and be thanked. She's known these two all of a couple of days, during which they were tortured and brutalized. And now they were _thanking_ her?

None of this should have happened. If only she knew better. If only she had gone with her instinct and stopped Zuko from be tortured.

If only she had stopped Jet.

If only she hadn't been so naive.

Katara didn't stop until she reached the healer's tent. It hadn't been taken down yet because the others were still trying to find a way to transport Jet without causing him to much pain. She pushed the cloth aside and entered. It was empty except for a single, occupied bed. All the supplies had been packed, and Lyla and Song must have been out trying to make some sort of gurney. The waterbender slowly stepped forward, staring at the motionless body with bitter disdain. The man's head was almost completely wrapped in bandages, only his chin and hair visible. Only those who knew him best would have been able to identify him.

Unfortunately, Katara was one of these people.

"Jet?" she said softly. "Jet, can you hear me?"

Of course, there was no response. They had him drugged so he would stay unconscious. There would be no way for him to deal with the pain at this stage.

Standing next to his bed, Katara leaned over, placing her hands on either side of his head. "You're _disgusting_, you know that? You kiss and make love to me, then you turn around and _rape_ some helpless boy?" She paused, waiting for a response that couldn't come. "Do you have _nothing_ to say for yourself?" Her voice began to elevate in both pitch and volume, all of her emotions that she shouldn't have - but did - bottle up rising up inside of her.

"You helped people. You saved people. You saved _me_. All the good you've done for the world and for the White Lotus... all mean _nothing_ because of all the despicable actions you've committed! That you _must have_ committed." Her hands made their way to his unprotected throat. Slowly, but surely, she began applying pressure.

"There's no way Aang was a one time thing. No way it was just an act of some sort of twisted passion. Who else have you tortured? Who else have you _raped_!"

Katara heard shouts from behind her, but she didn't care. Tears freely falling down her face, all she could think about was how much pain this man had caused. How much pain she _allowed_ him to cause.

Well, she was going to end it. Right here. Right now. She was going to stop the pain.

She was going to kill the man she loved.

* * *

**Well... Hope you all enjoyed! Left you with a bit of a cliffy...**

**Leave a review and let me know what you thought!**


	18. Chapter 18

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**With my summer job, I'm finding myself writing a lot more. Hopefully, I'll be able to eek out an update a week! :D**

**Enjoy Chapter 18!**

* * *

Toph stomped her foot and raised her arms. Curling her fingers into fists, she brought her arms back sharply, the row of tents collapsing into the earth. She stomped the ground again for good measure. Then, she relaxed her posture and let out a small sigh.

She was not a happy earthbender.

It had been a huge shock when they found Zuko and Aang in the woods alone. Who knew that a small contingent like themselves would knab themselves a citizen of the Fire Nation _and_ a not-so-extinct airbender?

Of course, it helped that they had the best earthbender in the world on their team.

During transport there had been discussion on what they should do with their prisoners. Almost everyone agreed that they should take the airbender in and care for him. Especially since he apparently looked as though he had been tortured. The airbender had been unconscious and was being carried at the time, so Toph couldn't tell. The arguments had risen when they started discussing what to do with the Fire Nation man. And, of course, it was mainly between Sokka and Jet.

They held off having a full-out heated 'discussion' until they got back to camp: _after_ they had secured Zuko in a hastily made prison and never-before used chains.

Jet was all for torturing the man. Though he didn't exactly come out and _say_ it like that, it was clear that was what he was implying. Sokka was more hesitant. He wanted information, yes. But he wanted to get it through words, not pain.

Toph was content to stay out it. While she was technically one of the top ranking members in this contingent, she was no leader. Well... she liked bossing people around, but not on this level. She liked to leave all of decision making and planning to Sokka and the others.

Of course, now she wished she _had_ been more involved. Because now, an innocent man had been tortured. A torture session _she_ had monitored. She knew every little thing that occurred in that prison except for the words being said. She had _felt_ it. It was already causing her nightmares.

And then there was the fact that she had felt Jet leading Aang off the campsite the other night. At the time, she didn't realize who it had been or what was about to happen, but that was no excuse. Toph was the best earthbender in the world. She should have been more attentive. Maybe then, she could have prevented all of this from happening.

Toph shook her head, hitting it with a closed fist. _Oh, quit feeling sorry for yourself! You're not going to do anyone any good by standing around moping._

She stomped her foot to get a better look around the camp. She was trying to find other tents that were emptied out and ready to be collapsed, but the earthbender's attention was caught by something else entirely.

It was Katara, marching determinedly. This, in of itself, was not unusual. However, her heart was beating so fast, Toph was barely sure she could discern the separate beats. Then she noticed where Katara was heading. And where _from_.

_Oh no._

As quickly as she could, Toph ran toward the center of camp. "Sokka! _Sokka!_"

She felt the Water Tribesman turn towards her as she approach. "Toph? What is it?"

"It's Katara... She's heading towards the healer's tent and I think she's about to do something _really stupid._" The words barely left her mouth before Sokka starting running.

As they approached the tent, Toph could feel what was happening. Katara was standing next to Jet's bed, leaning over him. Then, her hands started to slide near Jet's throat. A moment later, Jet's heart started to race.

"Katara, STOP!" Toph screamed. Sokka was also shouting, warning his sister not to do anything reckless.

They ran into the tent, and Sokka only hesitated for a moment before rushing forward and grabbing his sister by the arms and yanking her back.

"NO! Let GO of me!" Katara shrieked. "I'm going to END it! I'm going to end it NOW!"

Toph used her earthbending to slide Jet's bed away as Sokka slowly dragged his struggling sister out. It didn't even seem to occur to Katara to use her waterbending to dislodge herself from her brother's grasp.

Once they got her out of the tent, Toph brought up some earth to encase Katara's feet. It succeeded in getting her to stop struggling, as she froze in what seemed like shock. "Toph! What are you doing?!" she demanded.

"What is she doing...?" Sokka echoed. "What is _she_ doing?! What in Tui and La's names were _you_ doing?"

"I'm doing what we _should_ have done when first discovered what a barbarian Jet is," Katara spat.

"Jet!" Smellerbee cried. She ran past them and entered the tent, Longshot close behind her.

At this point, Toph noticed that they were beginning to acquire an audience. "Maybe we should continue this somewhere more private..."

"No," Katara stressed, her cracking with emotion. "We shouldn't hide this. It's not right that we've been keeping everyone in the dark to protect _his_ image."

Sokka stood in front of his sister, shaking her earnestly. "Katara, stop it! This isn't like you!"

Katara shoved Sokka back. "You're right, this _isn't_ like me. But _this_ has never happened to me before... I've never been with someone - loved someone - only to find that they're a _rapist_!"

An unnerving silence fell over the camp. Toph felt every member present stiffen at Katara's words. None more apparently than Smellerbee, who had just exited the tent. She started trembling. "W-what did you just say...?" she asked, her voice dangerously low.

Katara didn't respond. She obviously hadn't meant to actually say so much.

"How... how could you possibly say that about Jet?" Smellerbee asked rhetorically, her voice rising. "After everything he's done for the resistance, for us, for _you_?"

"That still doesn't change what Jet did," Katara snapped back.

"Jet would never do anything like that!" Smellerbee screamed. She lunged herself at Katara, who stiffened to brace herself.

"_Enough!_" Toph brought up her arms and encased Smellerbee's feet, stopping her in her tracks. "Everyone...!" Toph addressed, turning and making her sightless eyes point in the direction of the gathered crowd. "Go back to your jobs! We're leaving at noon. You!" She point to Sokka. "Take your sister and _deal_ with her." Toph stomped the ground and released Katara, confident that the waterbender had calmed down from her early rampage.

"And _you two_..." She turned to face Smellerbee and the recently-emerged Longshot. "We need to have a little _chat_."

* * *

"What was that about?" Aang asked quietly.

Zuko shrugged. "I have no idea. I'm not used to people getting upset when I thank them." He paused. "Truthfully, I don't really thank people often..."

"No, I mean _why_ were you thanking her?"

Zuko glanced at the airbender, whose eyes were a little too focused on his food, brow furrowed in a scowl. "For a lot of things. Mainly, for telling us about the Dragon of the West."

Aang looked up from his bowl. "Is that your uncle...?"

The firebender nodded with a smile. "And they're taking us right to him..." He let out a small laugh of relief. "After all this time, after everything we've been through... we're _finally_ going to be safe..."

Aang returned his gaze to his bowl, taking another couple of bites. "Seems odd that he would go by the name _Dragon of the West_..."

"It's the title he earned when he slew the last dragon," Zuko explained, feeling awkward talking about the darker parts of his uncle's life. "It sort of stuck as he climbed the military ranks because of the unusual fighting style he used."

"He's using a title that so obviously connects him to the Fire Nation...? Wouldn't he want to hide that fact?"

Zuko thought about that for a moment. "None of the intelligence Ozai received ever made reference to a that title. While it was always suspected that my uncle was the leader, there was never any confirmation. It must be title that used solely by White Lotus members."

Aang nodded, accepting the explanation.

Some sort of commotion was going on outside, making Zuko turn his head toward the entrance of their tent. He quickly shrugged it off though, the commotion having died down fairly quickly. He turned back to Aang. "I'm glad you're eating."

The airbender paused mid-bite for a moment before giving a little shrug and finishing off what was in his bowl. "You were right... before, I mean. I'll need my strength."

Zuko gazed at him for a moment, taking in the stiff posture, the fine trembling, and (most disturbingly) the slight scowl. He didn't know what happened or what went through Aang's head when Katara was here earlier, but whatever it was, it reminded the firebender of the Aang he had seen when they were in the village; upset and _angry_.

Knowing they were going to leave soon, it probably wasn't the best time to probe Aang's and try to find the root cause. Emotionally weakening him before travelling with near-strangers was the last thing Zuko wanted to do. Instead, he scooted over until he sat next to Aang, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him in. Aang immediately turned into Zuko's chest and leaned in, a hand coming up to grip his tunic. No words were needed. The message was clear:

_I'm here for you. And I'm not going anywhere without you._

* * *

Aang's mind was a plethora of anxiety, confusion, and guilt. It was... really... a _terrible_ combination.

By the time noon rolled around, they were all heading out. All the supplies had been secured and the campsite cleared. Thanks to the earthbender, Toph, no one would ever be able to tell that thirty-odd people had lived there for a month.

They travelled in what was more-or-less a line. Aang and Zuko were riding an ostrich horse towards the front, so it was hard for Aang to see how the other people were laid out. All he knew was that they were in front, flanked by Katara and Toph and led by Sokka.

While it was clear that these people wanted to protect them, Aang's anxiety wasn't assuaged. In fact, being unable to see all the other people made his anxiety even worse.

Worse, because he had no idea where Jet was.

That morning, when Zuko had been demanding that Aang stop apologizing, he said that Jet had... _done this_ to him. Which, really, could only mean one thing: Zuko knew what had happened the other night by the stream. Which just made Aang feel wretched and weak. It boggled his mind how Zuko could stand to even _look_ at him - let alone touch and hold him - after he had betrayed Zuko like that. While he _had_ agreed to stop apologizing, that didn't make the incident itself any less his fault. He _knew_ something had been wrong that night. His instinct had told him to run, to fight back, and he didn't. He just laid there, crying in self-pity, and took it like the whore he was.

He tried not to think about the years he spent under the fire whip of that ringleader. However, recent events couldn't help but dig up old memories that he had very purposefully buried.

That circus wasn't just been a freak show: it was a brothel. Though, that fact was less known. While they were publically just a show, the ringleader made most of his money at night, behind closed doors. The show itself was a viewing gallery of their exotic and strange folk, a showcase of who was available that night. The animal acts were little more than a cover to hide this fact, as prostitution was illegal in the Fire Nation.

Aang had been popular. Literally one of the kind. Many people with deep pockets were willing to pay a high price for a chance to sleep with the world's last airbender. There was hardly a single night Aang didn't have a customer. The more money they dished out, the longer and more violent they were allowed to be with him. Just as long as they didn't touch his face. He still had to be presentable to the public.

And then there were nights where the not-so-rich could come and play. The ringleader's favorite punishment was _discounts_. If any of his 'employees' had misbehaved in anyway (such as screwing up an act or trying to escape), he would lower the price for their body drastically for that night. That way, the desperate and dirty poor along with the absolute scum of the criminal world could have the chance to 'play'. It was on nights like these that Aang could have up to twelve customers; Twelve faceless men and women using him up to their hearts' desire. And at the end of each night, there would be nothing left except a used-up, empty shell.

He spent three years as a Fire Nation whore. A few months otherwise wasn't going to change that fact.

Jet knew. He may have been wrong about _who_ exactly Aang had serviced, but Jet knew _exactly_ what he was, what he was good for. That night, he had perfectly demonstrated the extent to his usefulness. The extent of his _loyalty_. Like so many nights before, Aang had enjoyed it. When Jet had... fondled him, thrums of pleasure had hummed through him.

While Zuko was being tortured, Aang had been busy whoring himself off to his torturer. He could think of no deeper betrayal.

Even now, he was being selfish. Every time he closed his eyes, he seemed to have a small freak out. He always ended up either back with Jet or back in the circus. And the periodic spikes of pain that shot up from his backside from riding the ostrich horse certainly weren't helping. But each and every time his breathing hitched or he involuntarily twitched, Zuko's arm would tighten around him and he would whisper small reassurances in his ear. By all standards of moral rights and honor, Aang _should_ be pushing Zuko away, convincing him that he wasn't worthy of the firebender's kindness or love.

But he didn't. He allowed Zuko to continue to comfort him and say things like 'I love you', because even if Aang wasn't deserving, he was certain he wouldn't be able to survive without these small actions. Even more selfish was his desire to keep Zuko around and loving him for as long as possible, even though he knew he was going to have to let go of him in the long run.

Which brought him back to his anxiety over his uncertainty as to Jet's whereabouts. He didn't know if Jet was purposefully hiding or simply off completely some other duty. Aang had no desire to be anywhere near Jet, he wanted to at least be aware of his location. That way he could try and keep Zuko as far away from him as humanly possible. Not only because Jet _tortured_ him (which, if Aang was less of a coward, he would have wanted to introduce Jet to a few airbending slices for), but because Aang was terrified that Jet would recount what happened that night to Zuko. Tell him how much Aang had _enjoyed_ it, how he barely even fought _back_.

Aang's imagination, unfortunately, was cruel. He was easily able to imagine Zuko's expression transform from one of love and concern to one of hurt and disgust. Zuko had given up _everything_ for a tainted, weak _murderer_ who, the moment they had been separated, had slept with another man.

_Aang... What have you done?_

The airbender stiffened at the involuntary memory, causing the arm that was wrapped around his middle to tighten. "Shh, it's okay," Zuko murmured.

Vision blurring, Aang took a couple of deep breaths and forced himself not to let his tears fall. If he started crying now, it would inevitably lead to sobbing. Which, in turn, would lead to Zuko being even _more_ concerned about him and _more_ anxious to try to help him. Try to help a murderer.

A selfish, traitorous, whoring murderer.

Aang's eyes slid over to gaze at Katara, who was walking parallel to them about two feet to their left. She stood up straight, her chest pumped forward in pride, but her eyes were downcast. The waterbender seemed to be in deep thought. Either that, or she was feeling a little dejected. A small, spiteful part of Aang hoped for the latter.

She was _with_ Jet. That much had been clear that first day. Aang had seen it in her eyes when she looked at him.

And yet...

Earlier that morning, when she brought them breakfast and told them about the message and the Dragon of the West, something bugged Aang about how she was with Zuko. They spoke to each other easily. Even when they were arguing, there was something just _natural_ about their interactions. As it was happening, Aang found himself overcome with an unfamiliar emotion. Something akin to anger, but not quite anger. Only in retrospect did the airbender understand what had been going on.

They had been _flirting_. And Aang had been jealous.

Because here was a girl, who was obviously strong and proud. Her body wasn't marred with uncountable scars, wasn't weak and ravaged by years of starvation and abuse. She was a fighter and a member of the White Lotus, the largest and most successful resistance against the Fire Nation. She seemed to be quite successful in one relationship, so why not another? It's not like Jet had _anything_ on Zuko, so it would make sense for the waterbender to pursue a better prospect. All in all, she was quite the catch. A strong, _undamaged_, independent woman fighting for the greater good. A perfect match for someone like Zuko, whose main long term goal was to fight against his father and free his people from war.

While that small part of Aang wanted to get rid of her (precisely _because_ she would make a good match for Zuko), the more logical side of Aang could see just how good of a couple they would make. While it killed him to think about it, once Zuko did discover Aang's betrayal, the airbender sincerely thought that Katara would be a worthy partner for him. She would be able to make him happy. Happier than Aang's broken self could _ever_ hope to make him.

"Stop it," Zuko whispered.

Aang jumped in surprise at the sudden interruption of his thoughts. "What?" he whispered back.

Zuko gave him a light squeeze. "I don't know what you're thinking about, but stop it. You're making yourself upset."

It really shouldn't have surprised him that Zuko could read him so well, but it did. His knee-jerk reaction was to apologize, but his earlier promise made him bite his tongue. It almost physically pained him to hold back, but he managed to stay silent.

Besides, he was certain he would be doing plenty of apologizing to Zuko in the near future anyway.

* * *

**A bit of Aang angst for you guys. He's kinda a mess, isn't he?**

**Since I _am_ a bit ahead, I gotta say... it's not going to be a pretty next couple of chapters...**

**Leave a review and let me know what you thought!**


	19. Chapter 19

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**There's a couple things I want to point out. In my AU, Aang never knew Bumi and the Seige of Ba Sing Se never occurred. These things aren't really relevant for this chapter, but they will be later on.**

**This is another longer chapter, which I know you guys like. I feel like not that much _actually _happens, but I hope you enjoy anyway! :)**

**(Oh, btw, someone reviewed as 'Guest' gave me a plot-bunny that I introduce in this chapter. It actually adds another dimension to the story that I found really easy to include. So thank you, whoever you are. I give you full credit for this!)**

**Enjoy Chapter 19!**

* * *

They marched until sundown, at which point they set up camp for the night. The rest of the day had been eerily silent. No doubt Katara's outburst that morning had been weighing heavily on everyone's minds.

In Toph's personal opinion, this was a good thing. Now that they had _some_ idea of what Jet had done, they could chew on it now and make it easier for them to accept later on when they finally learned the details. Currently, outside of herself and the Water Tribe siblings, the only ones who knew the details were Smellerbee and Longshot.

_That_ had not been a pleasant conversation.

As predicted, Smellerbee didn't accept it at first. It was like talking to a brick wall. Except worse, since most brick walls don't scream back at you. However, after a long while of Toph bluntly laying out all of the facts, along with some coaxing on Longshot's part, Smellerbee finally began to accept that her friend and hero was "kind of" a monster.

It was late at night. As she walked around camp, Toph could tell that almost everyone was asleep. She, on the other hand, was not going to be getting much sleep tonight. Oh, no. Not after that little oversight the other night that had ended in someone getting _raped_. She was the greatest earthbender in the world. She was going to stay alert and make sure no more mistakes were made.

And apparently, she wasn't the only one. "Shouldn't you be asleep, Katara?"

"Toph?" Katara rounded the tent that was probably blocking her view. "I could ask you the same question."

"Well, I _am_ responsible for surveillance."

Katara didn't respond. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, her heart rate surprisingly... fluttery. "Let's sit..."

Toph was a bit dubious, given the waterbender's strange behaviour. However, given the last few days, she supposed it would be more of a problem if Katara _hadn't_ been behaving strangely. So, with a small shrug, she said, "Sure." With a stomp of her foot, she made a couple chairs for them.

"Sokka says we should be there by tomorrow evening," Katara said as she sat down.

"Really? We were that close to it?"

"Apparently..."

Toph raised a questioning eyebrow. "Wait, how exactly does _Sokka_ know where it is?"

She heard - rather than felt - Katara shrug. "Apparently it was part of the coded message."

This actually seriously startled the earthbender. "That seems like dangerous information to be sending out. Especially since that's the same message went to _every_ contingent."

"Apparently getting Zuko and Aang to Headquarters was _that_ important..."

Toph chuckled. "You're using that word a lot."

"What word?"

"_Apparently_."

Katara sighed. Toph monitored her heartbeat, trying to gauge her, but it was too... sporadic for her to get a good read. It seemed to go back and forth between normal, strong beat and a faster, weaker one. _What is going on with her **emotions**...?_

Then, her heart started to race right before she asked, "What do you think will happen to Jet?"

Toph shrugged. "He'll probably be kicked out of the White Lotus." Leaning back in her makeshift chair, she started picking her toes. They were in desperate need of it. "They can't just let him go, though, since he knows so much. They'll probably have some sort of trial for him, lock him up until the war's over and an actual _government_ can serve him justice. That... of course... is assuming he wakes up again."

Katara stiffened in her chair. "I suppose that would make sense..."

Silence reigned for a few moments, only the sounds of the nocturnal wildlife breaking it. Really hating the silence, Toph said, "So... you still wanna kill Jet?"

Katara spun around so fast, Toph could have sworn she heard the waterbender's neck crack. "_Toph!_"

"What?" Toph asked exasperatedly. "You were all gung ho to kill Jet this _morning_, I don't think it's completely unreasonable to assume you _still_ want to!"

"Still! That is _not_ an appropriate topic!"

"Why? Because the answer's _yes_?"

Katara stood, letting out a growl of frustration. "You're _impossible_!"

"_Me?_" Toph stood with her. While the earthbender knew she was shorter than most people, she also knew that she was relatively intimidating regardless of her height. "_I'm_ not the one who's in denial, Katara!"

The waterbender huffed. "Okay, _fine_. I want to kill Jet. After _everything_ he's done, I don't see why that's such a bad thing!"

"Three things, Katara." Toph raised a finger. "One: You're not a killer." She raised another finger. "Two: Even if you were a killer, you'd never try and kill them while they were incapacitated in _every_ sense of the word. You have more honor than that. And three..." Toph sighed. "How exactly are you going to tell your child that you killed his father?"

There was a long period of silence. This time, it was as if even the normal forest noise had been rendered mute.

"H-how...?" Katara managed to choke out. "Even _I_ only... a couple... couple _d-days_ ago..."

"In my defense...Toph said softly, "I only figured it out a few minutes ago." She kicked a soft pile of dirt, already regretting bringing it up. "The heartbeat I was feeling was strange... it was like your heart was doing its normal thing and yet fluttering at the same time. Then I realized I was sensing _two_ heartbeats."

Katara sighed, sitting back down. When she spoke her voice was muffled, as if she had her face buried in her hands. "It doesn't matter, anyway... I'm going to get rid of it..."

Toph scoffed. "Great. It's not like there aren't _enough_ war-orphans out in the Earth Kingdom..."

"No," the waterbender said sharply. She lifted her face out of her hands, her voice clear and strong. "I'm not even going to bring it to term."

Toph's eyes widened. "You're going to kill it?"

"It can hardly be called _killing_ it... it hardly has a form at this point." Katara sighed. "I've already talked to Song about it. She said there are some herbs I can take."

"So that's it? You're just going to - "

"Look, I made this decision before we had even _found_ Aang and Zuko! I had no desire to raise a child in the middle of a _war_. And I _certainly_ had no intention to stop fighting. Not even for a child. Finding out that Jet..." She paused as her voice cracked. When she spoke again, it was strained. "Finding what Jet had done... what he is... There's no way I'd be able to raise his _child_."

Toph could see Katara's point. Both in terms of the war and in terms of the father in question. It was just hard for the earthbender to wrap her head around it. Katara had always been motherly, so it wasn't all that hard to imagine her as a mother. It was, however, difficult accept, not only the fact that she was _pregnant_, but that she had no intention of keeping the child. Even if it was the most logical thing for her to do, given the circumstances. "So... when are you going to take these herbs."

Katara's body sagged. "Once we get to Headquarters. Song said it was probably going to be painful and it might take a couple days for the bleeding to completely stop. I don't want to have to deal with that while we're still travelling."

Toph nodded. "Makes sense," she responded quietly.

"Well..." Katara slapped her hands on her thighs before standing. "We should get some sleep. It's going to be a long day of marching tomorrow."

"Eh, I'm not tired," Toph said.

The earthbender could practically feel the waterbender gaze at her. "You need to get sleep too, Toph."

She shrugged. "I'm going to keep surveilling the area. If I get tired tomorrow, I'll hitch a ride on one of the ostrich horses and take a quick nap."

For a moment, Toph feared that Katara would push the matter. Thankfully, she let it go. "Alright, then." Katara started to walk back to her tent. "'Night."

"'Night..." Once she felt Katara enter her tent and lay down, Toph let out a soft growl and kicked the ground, sending a small rock flying into the distance.

Like she didn't already have _enough_ on her mind.

* * *

The next morning, Zuko was surprised to hear that they would probably make it to Headquarters by nightfall. While he was definitely excited and relieved that they were going to get there so soon, he was also frustrated by how close he and Aang had been.

_Two days... We were **two days** away when we were captured. If only we had found Uncle first, then none of this would have happened..._

Of course, there was no use pondering the what-ifs of the situation. What had happened, happened. There was nothing anyone could do to change that. All they could do now was try and make it right again.

While Zuko realized that he was being overly optimistic, he continued to let himself believe that all of their problems would be solved once they found his uncle. Uncle would take care of him, would know what to do. Would be able to guide him...

It had been nearly seven years since Uncle had disappeared. Seven years of Zuko trying to navigate the dangerous and complicated dynamics of the Fire Nation Royal Family on his own. He knew that he had made some poor decisions on those years, that he had strayed from the true path of honor and righteousness on many occasions. Really, how could he not, with only his father as a role model. In retrospect, it was easy to see that his father had been anything _but_ a good influence. However, at the time, Zuko couldn't tell the difference. Couldn't see through his own fantasy of a father who actually cared for him. It had taken Aang for him to be able to clearly see his father for who he really was.

Even though he was finally free of Ozai, Zuko had found himself more lost than ever before. Driven only by the need to protect Aang and find his uncle, he was only able to function on blind instinct. Considering the difficulties they have had to deal with ever since leaving the palace, Zuko was frustrated and demoralized.

But by nightfall this day... hopefully that would all just become bad memories: more experiences that were part of an unchangeable past but no longer a part of the present or unpredictable future.

Keeping this hope alive in the back of his mind, Zuko focused on a more worrying problem at hand: Aang.

It's not like he hadn't been expecting Aang to be an absolute mess after what had happened. How could he _not_ be? At first, Zuko thought that maybe his experiences from helping Aang before would help him. Aang's mental state now couldn't be much different than it had been when they first met, right?

The answer was yes... it could be _very_ different.

When they first met, the airbender had been timid and terrified. At almost every turn, he had expected to be punished or yelled at for one thing or another. At the same time, he had also been trying desperately to please. He had had his moments of glee or jovialness that would occasionally break through his permanent shyness.

Aang was _nothing_ like that now. While he was no doubt terrified and twitchy, it seemed to stem from a different kind of source. Before, it had been fear of punishment. Now, it seemed to be fear of _abandonment_. Whenever he would have an attack or if Zuko ever left his sight, he would start sobbing hysterically and begging Zuko not to leave him alone. And then, stranger still, once he would calm down, he would seem ashamed and apologize. The firebender would always reassure him that it was alright, but Aang didn't seem to believe him and Zuko didn't know how else to convince him.

However, what was more upsetting was that Aang didn't seem to find joy in _anything_ anymore. The normally inquisitive airbender was in a permanent state of sullenness. He barely did anything except stay curled in Zuko's arms and stare into space. The only conversations they had were usually very factual and painfully forced. Whenever Zuko would tell Aang that he loved him, Aang would respond in kind, but even that seemed forced. The previous night, when Zuko had tried to kiss him goodnight, Aang had frozen, like he didn't know what he was supposed to do.

_That_ Zuko had expected. After that kind of trauma, he could understand if Aang was uncomfortable with engaging in those types of activities. While Zuko wanted nothing more than to kiss the airbender deeply and show him how much he meant what he said, Aang's wishes needed to come first. If he was uncomfortable with it, than Zuko would wait for as long he needed.

As everyone got ready to leave, Zuko wrapped an arm around Aang's shoulders. As Aang leaned into his body with a soft sigh, he silently made a promise to himself that he would figure this out. He would find a way to bring Aang back from the dark pit Jet sent him spiralling into. No matter what.

* * *

It was early afternoon, and they had just began marching again after a short lunch break. The contingent's brisk pace from that morning had slowed greatly. While the weather had recently been cooling down as they approached autumn, the days still got quite hot while sun was high in the sky. Katara's clothes were more laden with sweat than she would have liked, but the warrior part of her saw this as simply another source of water to draw from.

Everyone was sagging under the oppressive heat. Everyone... except Zuko. Katara would have thought he would be _dying_ right about now, since firebenders already have unnaturally high body temperatures. Or maybe that's _why_ he was doing better than the others.

Between the sun and the firebender's body temperature, it was a wonder that Aang didn't pass out from heat sickness,

"How much _further_, Sokka?" Toph asked tiredly.

Sokka pulled out his map as he walked, looking at it carefully. He looked up at the sky, trying to judge the time from the position of the sun. "By my calculations, we'll probably be there in a fe-AAGH!" His body lunged forward and he hit the ground with a loud thud. Zuko snickered and Katara rolled her eyes.

"That's what you get for walking and reading a map at the same time," Toph said with a smug smile.

"Hey! _You're_ the one who asked me to look at the map!" the Water Tribesman accused as he stood and wiped off the extraneous dirt.

"She asked you how much _further_ we needed to go..." Katara said tiredly.

"Exactly! Which requires me to look at my map!" He turned back forward and continued walking. "Anyway, we should get there in a few hours."

_Great_, Katara thought to herself. _Another few hours of complete and utter boredom._ She spared a glance up at the firebender, looking away quickly to make sure he didn't notice.

She wanted to strike up a conversation with him but had no idea how to do so without it being awkward. She didn't want to be lame and just make a comment on the weather and go from there, but there wasn't really any other topic she could naturally bring up that _wasn't_ either about the Fire Nation or about the last couple of days.

"So..." she said slowly, forcing herself to make eye contact with Zuko. "You don't get hot very easily do you?"

Well, being lame was better than nothing.

Zuko raised an eyebrow, clearly confused as to why she was even speaking to him. "Not really..." he said slowly. "Firebender's don't really get uncomfortably hot. Though, obviously we can be burned."

Katara tried very hard to not stare at his scar. "Does that mean you get cold easily?"

Zuko shrugged. "Until a few months ago, I had never left the Fire Nation before. I've never been to a drastically colder climate."

Katara laughed. "Then you should come to the South Pole sometime. You can't get much more 'drastically colder' than that."

"Is that where you're from?"

"Me and Sokka, yeah."

Zuko shifted slightly on the saddle so he was facing Katara better. "What's it like?"

The waterbender smiled, happy she got the firebender's interest piqued. "Very cold. And snow. _Lots_ of snow and ice... imagine a desert, but with snow instead of sand."

"Sounds..." Zuko hesitated. "...boring."

Katara started nodding in agreement when Sokka interrupted. "Hey! It's so much more than just that! There's tons of animals, like cat penguins and tiger seals. You can go penguin-sledding and hunting and..."

"We get it, Sokka," Katara said impatiently. She turned back to Zuko. "Point is, while I _do_ miss the people in my village, I was definitely excited to leave and explore the world." In front of them, Sokka reluctantly nodded in agreement.

Katara looked over at Aang, hoping to try and get him involved in the conversation as well. However, she noticed that the airbender's face was set in a slight scowl. _That's strange..._ "Aang, are you okay?"

Zuko's head snapped forward, looking at the airbender with a critical eye. Katara could see him giving Aang's waist a small squeeze as he leaned in and briefly pressed his mouth to the top of the airbender's head.

Aang turned his head to give Zuko a weak smile. As he turned back, his eyes met with Katara's and his scowl deepened before facing front again. "I'm fine..." he mumbled.

Katara frowned. She was about to ask him if he was sure he was alright, when a sharp scream from behind them pierced through the woods. Everyone froze and turned in the direction of the scream.

"What was that?" Zuko asked, both of his arms now wrapped protectively around the airbender.

The waterbender's face paled as she realized where the scream had come from. "Jet."

Without thinking, she ran toward the back of the procession where she knew people were taking turns carrying him. As she got closer, she could hear pained moans and angry growls, all coming from the same person.

"Get back! _Get back!_" she demanded as she pushed through the small crowd that had gathered.

Jet had been placed on the ground. Song was hovering over him while he struggled against a couple of men who were holding him down. "Let go of me _right now_!" he growled.

"Jet, I know you're in pain!" Song said desperately. She was holding a cup of liquid, probably some sort of painkiller. "I have something here for you that'll help, you just need to calm down!"

"I don't need your stupid potion!" Jet spat, yanking against the men holding him. Were Jet not as seriously injured and disoriented as he was, he would have easily been able to throw the men off. However, that wasn't the case. "I going to kill him..." he said, his voice low with malice. "I'm going to _kill_ that filthy Ash-Maker!"

Katara, who had been frozen upon seeing Jet, was finally able to find her voice. "J-Jet...?"

Jet froze. His body relaxed and his still-wrapped head turned in Katara's general direction. "K-Kat? Is that you...?"

Eyes unwillingly welling with tears, Katara cautiously knelt near Jet's side. "I-I'm here... I'm here, Jet..." She reached forward and gently placed her hand on his head.

The men holding him glanced at each other before slowly letting go. Jet was obviously calm now and wasn't going to cause himself or others injury.

"Katara..." Jet whispered, his lips trembling. His hands blindly found Katara's face, tracing her features before resting on either side of her head. "You saved me... I-I remember you being there after that _firebender_ had the nerve to attack me..."

Katara stiffened, apparently enough that Jet noticed. "Kat, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said too quickly. "I'm glad you're awake..."

Her voice was colder than she intended it to be and Jet picked up on it. His mouth forming a small frown, he asked, "Katara... where's the firebender?"

Hands trembling, she gently gripped Jet's wrists and pulled them off her face. She suddenly felt dirty for allowing this... this _rapist_ to touch her like that. "Don't worry about him," she said flatly. "Drink that concoction Song has for you and get some rest."

Suddenly, Jet had a tight grip on Katara's wrist. The waterbender jumped in surprise. _I didn't know he could he move so fast..._

"Katara," Jet said earnestly. "I know you. And I know something's wrong. Whatever you think I did, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

A wave of anger rose in Katara. Sorry? He was _sorry_? He wasn't even apologizing for the horrible things he had done. He was just apologizing to placate whatever _might_ be bothering her.

What a manipulative _snake!_

Leaning forward - her anger overriding her common sense - she spoke to him so lowly that only he could hear. "Maybe you should have thought of that _before_ you raped Aang."

Jet stiffened, his jaw dropping slightly. Katara wished his face was undamaged _just_ so she could have seen the expression on his face as he realized that she _knew_. She knew exactly the kind of monster he was.

Satisfied, she leaned back and tried to stand but found herself stopped. Jet still had an iron grip on her wrist. "Jet, let go of me," Katara warned.

In less than a second, Jet's mouth formed a scowl, he raised his free hand, and backhanded her hard enough to make her head snap back.

Song let out a scream and the men were shouting angrily as they ran forward to restrain Jet. But before they could reach him, Katara, chest still burning from anger, pulled the water from her waterskin and hit Jet as hard as she could.

Pained grunts escaped Jet as Katara continued to hit him with deluge after deluge, pounding him into the ground. Her vision completely obscured by hot salty water, she didn't even think as she continued to beat on him. She didn't stop until Jet passed out from the pain, his body gone limp.

Panting heavily, Katara stepped back, arms still covered in water from her octopus form. Ignoring the shocked expressions of those around her, she let out an exaggerated sigh. "Well, he should stay unconscious until we reach Headquarters now."

And with that, she put most of her water away, keeping out just enough so she could quickly treat the bruise she knew was forming on her face. When she turned to return to the front of the line, she almost ran into her brother who had been standing behind her. Sokka started to stammer out a demand for an explanation when Katara held up her free hand. "_Later_," she growled. "Let's... just get to Headquarters."

Sokka was about to argue, but she held his gaze confidently. They conversed silently as only close siblings could, promising each other that they _would_ talk, just not now. Reluctantly keeping his mouth shut, Sokka nodded and lightly touched her arm.

"Okay."

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**A bit of drama and action here at the end... **

**Leave a review and let me know what you thought!**


	20. Chapter 20

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**I seriously love my job right now. Not only because the work itself is super interesting and I'm getting paid decently well, but I have so much downtime that I've been getting really ahead in this story. I'm so far ahead, I actually forgot where I left you guys off. I think I might be able to manage two updates a week!**

**Enjoy Chapter 20!**

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_Jet's awake... Jet's awake... Jet's awake..._

The annoying mantra echoed in the back of Zuko's mind as he tried to calm Aang down. After Katara had muttered the man's name and run off, Aang begun trembling violently, his breathing becoming harsh as he began to sob. Having been unable to calm him down, Zuko jumped off the ostrich horse and pulled Aang onto the ground, not wanting him to fall off accidentally.

Aang practically collapsed on the ground, gasping desperately for air. When Zuko kneeled in front of him, Aang clawed at his arms, leaning his head against the firebender's chest.

"It's okay! It's okay...!" Zuko tried to soothe. He rubbed Aang's back softly hushing him. "Just breathe, Aang... breathe with me..."

Aang didn't seem to be responding. Tears were running freely down his face, his eyes staring blankly into space. His breathing was harsh and erratic. He was shaking so violently, Zuko wasn't entirely sure he wasn't having a seizure.

Sokka had gone off to follow his sister, but Toph was still there, standing a few feet away. From the direction the Water Tribe siblings had run to, there were incoherent noises and shouts, shortly followed by a clear statement:

"I'm going to _kill_ that filthy Ash-Maker!"

Aang's sobs suddenly stopped with a strangled gasp, his body going stiff as stone. For a terrifying moment, Zuko was sure that the airbender's heart had given out. But then, Aang's body began to relax into Zuko's arms, his breathing slow and even, if a bit shaky. At first, Zuko was relieved. He patted Aang's back and asked, "You okay now?"

No response.

"It's going to be okay..." Zuko reassured. "Jet is in no condition to be doing _anything_... I've made sure of that. There's no way he can hurt _either_ of us."

Again, no response. No slight tremors at the mention of Jet's name, no hands gripping his tunic, no small nod or shake of the head to show if he agreed or disagreed with Zuko. Nothing.

"W-what... what's wrong with him...?" Toph asked hesitantly.

The firebender's head snapped up to look at the earthbender. "What are you talking about?"

"I-I don't know. It's like Aang's body has shut down... but it hasn't. Like he's passed out, but is still conscious..."

Zuko had learned the previous day that she was blind and used bending to see around her, which actually explained a lot. However, he didn't expect her ability to be so fine-tuned. He looked back down at his lover and realized that she was right; it was as though he was asleep. "Aang...?" he said gently as he placed his hands on the airbender's shoulders and pushed him back. He was met with no resistance as he held Aang out at arm's length.

Aang's eyes were open, but they weren't focused. It was like he was staring at some invisible point in space with disinterest.

Zuko waved his hand in front of Aang's face, alarmed when it didn't even cause the airbender to blink. "Aang...!" He gave him little shake. "Aang, wake up...!" Grabbing either side of his face, Zuko leaned his forehead against his, wiping away the drying tear tracks with his thumbs. "Everything's okay now. _You're_ okay..."

No response.

_No... Please don't leave me...! Please don't do this to me!_

"You can't leave me here alone!" Zuko cried. His trembling increasing by the second, he desperately wrapped his arms around Aang, burying his face in the crook of the comatose airbender's neck. "Please don't go..." he sobbed.

"Zuko?"

The firebender jumped when a hand was gently placed on his back. He jerked his head up, heedless of the tears that were falling down his face. His eyes fell on the waterbender, who was now kneeling beside him. "Help him," he begged. "_Please_."

With a quick nod, Katara pulled the water out of her waterskin. Water-covered hands glowing faintly blue, she placed them on Aang's head. Zuko heart wrenched when the airbender didn't even flinch at contact.

Katara's eyes were narrowed in concentration as she moved her hands in slow, small circles around Aang's temples. Finally, after several minutes, she let out a small sigh. "We can't do this right now..." she whispered, more to herself than to Zuko. A moment later Aang's eyelids dropped and he fell unconscious in Zuko's arms.

"What did you do?" Zuko demanded, holding Aang's body close to his.

"I just made him fall asleep," Katara said calmly. She put her water away. "I think he's in some form of shock, and really, there's nothing any of us can do for him right now. We just need to get moving again. Once we're safe at Headquarters, then we can look at properly treating him. In the meantime..." She indicated Aang's unconscious form. "...I think it's best if he just rests, even if it _is_ forced."

Zuko mindlessly stroked Aang's hair as he gazed at the waterbender. It was taking his mind far longer than it should to comprehend what she was saying. "Will he get better...?"

Katara smiled sympathetically. "I think so. With Jet waking up so suddenly... I think it was just too much for him to handle. He'll be better once his mind has had enough time to process it."

The mention of Jet shot Zuko into focus. And that's when he noticed the large bruise forming at the corner of the waterbender's mouth. "Did Jet do that?" he asked with a scowl.

Her hand automatically went to her mouth, tenderly fingering it for a moment. "Don't worry about it."

"That disgusting _cowpig_..."

"It's fine," Katara insisted. "Really. I hit him with so much water, I'm sure his _ancestors_ felt it."

Zuko blinked in surprise, a faint sense of envy washing over him. Oh, how he wished _he_ could beat Jet's stupid face in for everything he's done.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Zuko focused on holding onto Aang and making sure he wasn't jostled too much as they rode on. The contingent had increased their pace, probably reaching the preset location in a fraction of the time it was originally going to take.

Not long before they arrived, Aang had woken. However, he was just as unresponsive as before, no matter how much Zuko coaxed. The firebender prayed to Agni and all other spirits willing to listen that the airbender would break out of this catatonia soon.

"Alright," Sokka suddenly announced, bringing the procession to a halt. "Everyone wait here; I'm going to the entrance to prove we are who we say we are."

"You?" Katara questioned. "Why you?"

Sokka raised the pieces of parchment he was holding, waving them in her face. "Who's got the map? Who's got the instructions? That's right, me." He turned, looked down at his map and the message for a moment before jogging off. "I'll be back in a minute!"

About fifteen minutes later, the Water Tribesman returned, two men in blue and white robes following him. Zuko's eyes widened when he saw the older of the two, hardly believing who he was seeing. With his white hair and two scars running down the side of his face, Zuko recognized him immediately: Jeong Jeong, the Deserter.

Jeong Jeong walked straight up to the ostrich horse, expression blank as he looked over the riders. "You are Zuko and Aang, I take it?"

Zuko nodded, instinctively tightening his grip on Aang. A part of him wanted to give the aged master a respective bow, but he didn't want to let go of Aang in his current condition.

With a curt nod of the head, Jeong Jeong turned to his partner. "Take the others to the main camp." He turned to Sokka, Katara, and Toph. "You all will accompany me in escorting these two."

The firebending master led the five of them to a hidden entrance not far from where they stopped. As they descended underground, Zuko half feared and half hoped that Aang was going to have a panic attack like he did when they first escaped the Fire Nation Palace.

Unfortunately (or fortunately...?), he didn't.

When they arrived in a larger room, furnished with furs and tapestries, Jeong Jeong said he would take the ostrich horse and that they were to wait there. When he disappeared with the ostrich horse, they all sat in an uncomfortable silence. Zuko sat a little apart from the others, Aang tucked safely under his arm. Toph laid back against and self-made mound of rock, casually picking her toes. Sokka and Katara kept exchanging nervous glances to each other, but said nothing.

Zuko, while remaining outwardly stoic, was a ball of nerves on the inside. This was it. He was _finally_ going to see Uncle. After all these years... However, while he was definitely excited, another part of him couldn't help but be a little trepid. It had taken him _years_ to finally see the monster his father was, what his father was doing to his nation and to the world. Even _after_, the last few months on the run haven't exactly been Zuko's finest moments. How many times had they nearly died or been captured? He would have never changed these experiences, since they were when he and Aang had truly bonded, but also feared that Uncle would be disappointed in how he had handled the situation. No doubt his uncle had heard about everything. His information network seemed to be more detailed than even the Fire Nation's.

Zuko didn't know what he'd do with himself if his uncle came out and could only look upon him with disappointment at how much he had failed.

Another Lotus member came by and gave them all large cups of water. As he set down the glasses, Sokka asked how long they were going to have to wait. The middle-aged man said it could be a little while.

They all downed their glasses of water eagerly, dehydrated from the driven march they took to get here. All except Aang.

"Well, he hasn't exactly been exerting himself," Katara said hesitantly as Zuko failed to coax Aang to drink some water. "The fact that he's not drinking shouldn't be an _immediate_ worry..."

"Honestly, I'm less worried about him drinking and more worried about the fact that he's _catatonic_," Zuko snapped.

"Hey! Relax!" Sokka bit back. "She's only trying to help!"

The firebender glared at them, but didn't respond, silently seeing his point.

"Speaking of which..." Katara said softly. "I think I should give you another healing session."

Zuko tensed at this. "No."

The waterbender rolled her eyes at the stubbornness. "You haven't let me even see your wounds since I first started treating them a couple days ago. I want to make sure you don't get an infection and _die_."

"I'm fine," he said curtly. "I'd know if one of my cuts was getting infected."

"And how are your fingers?"

He flexed the fingers on one of his hands in demonstration. "A little stiff, a little sore, but _fine_."

"They were broken as of a few days ago. I doubt they're just a _little_ sore. Especially since you've had to hold onto the reins of the ostrich horse."

Zuko shrugged. "It's not like I haven't had broken fingers before."

"Yeah, but wouldn't it be nice if your fingers _didn't_ hurt so much?"

Zuko flexed his fingers again. If he were honest with himself, he'd say that he liked the pain. It kept him focused and alert. Though, in lieu with all of his still-healing cuts, he would also have to admit that the pain did occasionally get overwhelming.

And a bit triggering.

"Aang could hardly be considered awake," Katara went on. "He's not going to remember seeing all of your wounds."

The firebender looked down at his charge, unsurprised and disappointed to find Aang still staring blankly out into space.

"I'll look after him," Sokka said. "Who knows? Maybe a few good jokes is exactly what he needs to snap out of it!"

Having heard the Water Tribesman's 'jokes', Zuko rolled his eyes, but acquiesced. "Fine. As long as you're quick about it."

Sokka took charge of the unresponsive Aang, blathering on about a variety of topics, as Katara led Zuko to a more secluded area of the room. "Take your shirt off."

Zuko did as he was told, stifling a groan as he pulled on his cuts. Before she got her water out, Katara fingered some of the larger cuts and designs. Despite himself, he flinched when she touched more tender areas.

Pulling out her water, she began slowly running her hands over his cuts. Smiling slightly she said, "We could all use a good bath..."

Zuko looked down and noticed the dirt encrusted into his skin. "Part of living on the road, I suppose..."

They sat in a surprisingly comfortable silence as Katara treated him. While she was definitely focused on her healing, her eyes would occasionally flicker up to Zuko's face. He could tell she wanted to ask him something, but - for whatever reason - was too nervous or embarrassed to ask. So he took initiative. "What is it?"

Her eyes brows went up in question. "What?"

"You look like you want to ask something. So just ask it."

She hesitated for a moment, but her curiosity had overtaken any qualms she may have had. "There's a couple things that I... well, all of us, actually... have been wondering about..."

"Like why would the Dragon of the West care so much about us?"

"That... among other things."

The firebender looked Katara straight in the eyes. "Why do _you_ think he cares so much?"

Katara turned her head over to where Sokka and Toph were trying to pull Aang out of his self-imposed shell. "I can understand why he would want to take care of Aang so badly. He's the first airbender anyone's seen in nearly a century." She turned back to Zuko. "And I suppose you would just be part of the package, since you guys were travelling together and are obviously trust each other."

Zuko shrugged, not really giving her any indication as to whether she was right or wrong. Until he'd had a chance to speak with his uncle, he didn't want to actually tell her anything in case Iroh wanted to hide their identities.

Katara frowned, frustrated at his avoidance. "... Which also brings up the question of _why_ you're travelling together. Where did you guys meet? If you didn't give Aang all those scars, then who did? Are you a fugitive because you were trying to help an airbender?"

Zuko considered continuing to employ his avoidance technique, but then decided to give her a half-truth instead. After everything that's happened, she deserved that much. "When I met Aang, he was basically being used as a slave. His... caretakers abused and tortured him for their own pleasure or entertainment. I wanted to help him, but I'm ashamed to say that I was too cowardly to do anything at first. It took a particularly brutal beating to make me finally act..." Shame bubbled up inside him at the memory making it difficult to speak for a moment. _It's unacceptable how long it took me to finally decide to help him_. "And yeah... I suppose we became fugitives because I rescued him, but it was the best decision I've made in my entire life."

"That must have been hard... leaving behind all your friends and family..."

Zuko scoffed. "I didn't leave anybody behind. I didn't have any 'friends' to speak of, and my family is... Let's just say they're not the greatest of people. Which really, just makes it more deplorable that it took me so long to help Aang. I really had nothing to lose."

Katara frowned, as though trying to find something to say. Instead, she pulled her hands away and said, "That should do for now."

The firebender looked down at his chest. It didn't cease to amaze him how much healing the water could do in such a short period of time. All except the worse of the cuts were healed, leaving behind pink lines of new skin.

"I'd do more, but I want to work on your fingers before I run out of energy."

Zuko shook his head with a small smile. "_Believe_ me... the fact that you can do this much is incredible."

The waterbender's cheeks reddened in what Zuko assumed was embarrassment. "Gimme your one of your hands," she said a bit too fast.

_Do people not compliment her on this sort of stuff? Because it really is nothing short of amazing._ Zuko held out one of his hands for her to look at. She took off the cloth that had been wrapped around his fingers and studied them for a moment. Then, with a quick flick of her wrist, she gathered her water around her hand. "There isn't too much I can do for your fingers," she said. "I can take down the inflammation and help with the pain, but it's going to be another couple of weeks or so before you have full mobility again."

Once she was done, she pulled some fresh cloth out of her bag and rewrapped his fingers. "Better?"

Zuko nodded. "Much."

A noise came from down the hall, echoing loudly in the room and making (almost) everyone's heads turn. It sounded like animal... chirping? Or possibly screeching? A moment later, a white and brown furred animal came flying into the room. It flew a couple circles in the air before landing next to Sokka.

"Eehh!" Sokka exclaimed, waving his boomerang. "What is it? Get it away from me!"

Zuko and Katara stood and walked back over as the creature began to rummage through the Water Tribesman's bag. Now that he could get a closer look, Zuko realized that it was some sort of lemur.

Katara giggled as lemur pulled out a handful of berries and stuffed them in its mouth. "Looks like it found your food stash, Sokka."

"No!" Sokka yanked his bag away. "_Bad_ flying monkey thing!"

The lemur purred mournfully at him before jumping into the air and briefly gliding to Aang's knee. Zuko stepped forward in alarm, intent on getting the lemur off of the airbender. However, he froze when Aang turned his head to look blankly at the creature. In fact, everyone froze, waiting to see if Aang was breaking out of his catatonia.

The lemur chirped, crawling up Aang's torso in a spiral until he was perched on his shoulder. Aang stuck out his arm to make it easier for the lemur to sit there. A small smile appeared on his face as he raised his hand to pet the creature. "W-what're you doing in a place like this...?" he asked softly.

Zuko internally cheered at the curiosity and spark slowly returned to the airbender's eyes. "Aang..." Katara asked hesitantly, "...what is that thing?"

Aang looked up in surprise, as though just realizing there were other people. His smile wavered, a slight expression of fear forming on his face, until his eyes landed on Zuko. His smile widened again and he visibly relaxed. "He's a flying lemur," he said quietly, stroking the lemur's large ears. "There used to be tons of them at the Air Temple. I..." he swallowed. "I can't believe they're not extinct..."

"Then, I suppose I should consider myself lucky," a deep, gravelly voice said. "I ran into the little guy by chance early on in my travels... when I visited the Southern Air Temple."

A chill ran up Zuko's spine, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe. He couldn't even bring himself to turn and look at the source of that voice.

"Hey, long time no see, old man!" Toph said excitedly.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, my old earthbending friend," the voice replied joyfully.

"Toph..." Katara said reverently, "... is that the Dragon of the West?"

The conversation continued and introductions were made, but Zuko found that he couldn't make himself move. It was as if his mind and his body had been suspended in time, unable to comprehend the situation, even though he's imagined this moment a thousand times over.

"Zuko...?" Aang was standing in front of him, his eyes wide with worry. The lemur clutched in one arm, he had his other hand on Zuko's bicep, squeezing it comfortingly.

It was the call to reality he needed. Pushing his fears aside and forcing himself to stand straight, he finally turned.

He was short. Shorter than Zuko remembered. His hair and beard a bit whiter than last he saw him. Gone was the excess fat he had gained during his years of retirement. This man standing before Zuko was the famed General Iroh that most of the world feared.

But his face was soft and kind, just how the former prince remembered him. Upon seeing Zuko's face, his uncle's eyes brimmed with tears. Certain that he would not able to handle an emotional Iroh, Zuko pressed his right fist to the bottom of his left palm and bowed respectfully. "Uncle."

A moment later, Zuko found himself pulled by a pair of strong arms and wrapped in a tight embrace. He immediately stiffened, but as the smell of ash and ginseng tea invaded his senses, he unconsciously allowed his body to sag, hot tears starting to fall down his face and into the old man's shoulder.

"Prince Zuko..." Iroh replied, voice thick with emotion. "You found your way here."

Zuko let out a small laugh, wrapping his arms around his uncle's shoulders. "Yeah..." he replied softly, voice shaking with fatigue. "But next time, could you try and be less cryptic?" A low rumble vibrated through him as his uncle chuckled.

For the first time in years, Zuko finally allowed himself to relax. For the first time in years... he finally felt _safe_.

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**At last! The reunion a lot of you have been waiting for!**

**Leave a review and let me know what you thought!**


	21. Chapter 21

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**Not the most interesting chapter... but I'm actually happy with how it turned out. Got a few things out of the way.**

**Hopefully I'll have another update for you guys by Friday :)**

**Enjoy Chapter 21!**

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All Sokka could do was stare at the leader of their resistance - the _Dragon of the West_ - as he practically leaped forward and pulled Zuko into a tight embrace.

Zuko had called him _Uncle_.

The Dragon of the West had called him _Prince Zuko_.

It was already making his head hurt.

It was a well-known fact that the Dragon of the West was from the Fire Nation. How else would you explain the title? Besides, the White Lotus had people from _all_ nations, even the Fire Nation. Though, as far as anyone knew, there were hardly any Fire Nation citizens in the White Lotus to speak of.

This did explain quite a bit though. If Zuko was related to him, then it was no wonder a coded message with such information was sent out to every contingent. He was trying to find and protect his nephew. Which meant that it was the _opposite_ of what they originally thought. It wasn't that he wanted to find the airbender and Zuko was a bonus; He wanted to find Zuko and _Aang_ was the bonus.

Which was all fine and dandy. On its own, Sokka could accept these facts.

This _Prince Zuko_ business was a completely different issue.

Did their leader mean prince of the _Fire Nation_? He couldn't think of any other possibility, unless the Fire Nation was split up into different municipalities like the Earth Kingdom (which he sincerely doubted). If this was the case, then that would make Zuko the son of _Firelord Ozai_.

But then... no, it couldn't be. The Dragon of the West was probably Zuko's mother's brother. Yeah, that was it. Zuko's maternal uncle.

There was no way he was the Firelord's brother. Absolutely _impossible_.

His friends seemed to be following the same vein of thought. "I'm sorry..." Toph said, "... but did you just call him _Uncle_?"

Katara scoffed. "I'm honestly a little more interested in this _Prince Zuko_ business."

As Zuko extracted himself from... his uncle's...?... arms, he looked as though he had revealed a deadly secret (and for all Sokka knew, he did). However, the Dragon of the West merely smiled, paying the trio no heed. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend, Prince Zuko?"

_Oh right, the kid..._ While he and Katara had been busy gaping, Aang had been nervously stroking the ears of the lemur in his arms and slowly stepping backwards. While he didn't look like he was going to go catatonic again, he definitely seemed extremely uneasy.

Zuko turned, looking a bit dazed himself. Seeing Aang's apprehension, Zuko went over and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Very gently, he pulled the airbender towards the Dragon of the West, but still remained a good distance away so not to overwhelm him. "Aang, this is my uncle, General Iroh. Uncle..." He looked down to gaze at the airbender's face with an expression of fierce protectiveness and... some other powerful emotion Sokka couldn't quite identify. "... this is Aang."

The Dragon of the West... or General Iroh? _Uncle?_ At this point, there seemed to be too many names and titles to keep track of for one man. At least, too many in such a short period of time. Whatever this guy wanted to be called, he bowed to Aang in the traditional Fire Nation fashion. "It is an honor to meet you, young airbender."

The lemur perked up with a slight trill, spreading his wings and flying out of Aang's arms to land smoothly on General Iroh's shoulder. Aang looked down at his empty arms, flexing his hands for a moment. Then, he warily mimicked the general's hand gesture and bowed. "The... h-honor is mine, U-Uncle I-I-Iroh," he stuttered softly.

The general's eyes widened in surprise before he smiling warmly. He gave his nephew a brief glance before finally turning back to the others. While he remained smiling, Sokka could see some of the kindness leave his eyes. When he spoke, there was a discernable difference. The affection that was present previously was now replaced by a thinly veiled irritation.

"And you three must be in charge of the contingent responsible for finding them. Toph, would you care to introduce me to your companions?"

Toph quickly rattled off their names and a quick list of each of their strengths and 'annoyances'. Meanwhile, Sokka was having trouble meeting the old man's eyes, which were practically ablaze with anger. Earlier, when Sokka had been verifying their identity with a couple of White Lotus sentries, he had given them a short-and-to-the-point summary of everything that had happened. He had wanted to be upfront about all their mistakes and problems so they could be dealt with in a more efficient manner. Evidently, the Dragon of the West had already been informed about all of this.

_Well,_ Sokka thought, _at least this means we won't have to recount anything again. Hopefully._

After Toph finished her introductions, the Water Tribe siblings bowed respectfully. Iroh returned the bow in kind. "There is much for us to do," he said. "But not tonight. Tonight, you shall wash up, eat, and rest. I will get Nyla to show you where your rooms are." He turned to face Zuko and Aang. "If it would not trouble you too much, I would be most pleased to have you two accompany me for dinner."

Zuko exchanged a glance with Aang, who looked pretty ambivalent on the matter. He probably didn't care so long as he got to stay with Zuko. For obvious reasons, the kid was super attached to the firebender. "We'd love to, Uncle," Zuko replied.

The three of them left, and Nyla (an older earthbending woman) collected the rest of them soon after. She led them to a large room with three beds, pointing out where the washrooms and dining hall were. "I'll come collect you when we're having supper. Feel free to make yourselves comfortable until then."

When she left, Katara almost immediately went to the washroom, apparently desperate for a proper bath. Toph, not having such desires, jumped up on the bed with a sigh. "Ah... I can't remember the last time I slept on a proper bed."

"Yeah well, enjoy it while you can," Sokka said as he sat down on his own bed. "Something tells me our stay here is going to be anything _but_ comfortable."

Toph sat up. "What's your problem?"

"Toph, aren't you worried about General Iroh? He seemed pretty angry earlier..."

"Oh, he was furious," she replied bluntly. "I'm assuming you told those White Lotus guys earlier everything that happened? Or at least the highlights?"

"Yes..."

"Then can you really blame him? We _tortured_ his nephew."

Sokka sighed. "In our defense, it was Jet who tortured him..."

"Yeah, but we let it happen. If we hadn't gotten that message, we'd probably still be treating him like a prisoner, even if we still found out what Jet had done to Aang. 'Sides... it's not like we haven't been blaming ourselves for it, too..." she said dejectedly.

The Water Tribesman scratched the back of his head. One of the reasons he liked Toph so much was because of her blunt nature. It was easy to see things clearly when she pointed them out honestly. However, it didn't make the situation any less uncomfortable. "Which is kinda my point... He has every reason to burn us to a crisp right where we stand. And even though I'm pretty sure he won't, that still doesn't mean he's not gonna grill us to death or make our lives here as unpleasant as possible."

"Oh calm down, Snoozles. The old man's not like that."

"But you said yourself that he was furious."

"And I _also_ said that you can't really blame him. Even though he's furious, he's also extremely forgiving and understanding. He'll make sure he knows the whole story before making any decisions. And even then..." Her voice softened. "He's a big believer in second chances."

Sokka raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you speak from experience..."

Toph scoffed. "Yeah," she said bitterly. "I do."

When the earthbender didn't offer any more details, Sokka stood and walked across the room to sit next to her. "So... what happened?"

She rolled her eyes. "What exactly do you want to know? I was a brat and he changed my life. There's not that much to it."

"Oh, I think there's a lot more to it." He bumped his shoulder against her's. "C'mon. You never talk about your life before the White Lotus."

"Neither do you or Katara," she pointed out.

"Yeah, well... there isn't that much to talk about. We lived an average life at the South Pole."

"Why'd you leave?"

Sokka sighed, leaning back to stare at the ceiling. "I don't know... Katara desperately wanted to go to the Northern Water Tribe to get a teacher, and I was mostly just itching to get a piece of action. Gran Gran seemed to notice this and she eventually convinced us to go. That was almost four years ago, now. We left with a bunch of merchants who took us to the southern part of the Earth Kingdom. By chance, we met Master Pakku on the way North. After... _a lot_ of convincing, he finally agreed to teach Katara waterbending. It was through him that we eventually joined the White Lotus." Toph gave a grunt of acknowledgement but didn't offer up her own story. "Your turn," Sokka egged.

For a while, Toph didn't say anything. She seemed perfectly content to pick the dirt from her toes (during which Sokka tried very hard to not jump away in disgust). Finally, she let out a sigh. "When I ran away from home, I didn't care about the rules or about other people. I took what I needed and I moved on. I thought I was living the life. No rules, to restraints, no parents... I did a lot of things that I'm not proud of now. Stealing and such. But that all changed when I met _him_.

"It was so strange... there we were; he was stuck in one of my earthbending holds and I was demanding him to give me all his money. And then... he started _talking_. Asking me questions, making little comments about my appearance or demeanor. And that wasn't even the strangest part. The strangest part was that he was completely _calm_. He was completely unfazed by the fact that I had him at my mercy. He didn't even seem bothered by the fact that he was incapacitated by a ten year old. Anyway... he eventually convinced me to let him go. And when I did, he offered me _tea_."

"He _what?_"

"I know. I was completely certain this old guy was crazy. But... he was also the first adult to actually treat me like a _person_ instead of an invalid or a cretin. We had a looong talk. Then he invited me to join him on his journey, and I guess from there it's history."

"That's... wow." Sokka was honestly at a loss for words. It was hard to imagine that an encounter like that could change someone's life so much.

"Anyway..." Toph continued, "... my point is that you have nothing to worry about. He'll be unhappy, but he _won't_ be unreasonable."

Sokka sighed. Here they were, in the White Lotus Headquarters. They were practically in the center of the action and there was a large chance they could become a big part of it. He should be thrilled, but his worry kept dousing his excitement. "I hope you're right, Toph."

He let out a yelp as she punched him in the arm. "Of course, I am. So calm down. I swear you've been nothing but a meaty sack of nerves lately."

He rolled his eyes, even if the gesture was lost on the earthbender. "Given our last week, can you really blame me?"

"Yeah well, it should be smooth sailing from here on out."

* * *

"I first met the little guy when he had stolen a moon peach from my bag," Iroh said in explanation. "So I named him Momo."

Said lemur was currently settled on Aang's shoulders. It was curled around his back, tail wrapped around his neck, taking a light nap. Aang was smiling and stroking its ears. "Momo... I like it."

They were sitting around a table in Iroh's private quarters, drinking leechi juice and tea while they waited for dinner. Iroh and Aang were talking about flying lemurs and Zuko was content to sit silently. Apparently flying lemurs' natural habitat were the Patola Mountains, where Aang used to live a hundred years ago. This gave them a topic to discuss that they both seemed to have experience in.

Now that the sheer relief at finally finding his uncle (along with the relief from Aang coming out of his catatonia) had worn off, Zuko found that a whole new set of emotions were welling up inside of him. New... and unexpected.

As he listened to Iroh and Aang talk, he started to glean a few things about his uncle's last few years. One, his uncle had first travelled around the world for some unspoken reason. Two, even when the White Lotus had been openly active, he had been able to easily travel to various places without detection, including Fire Nation colonies. Three, while his uncle never specifically said so, Zuko could tell that he spent much of this time helping lost souls as he recruited for the resistance.

And at these realizations, Zuko couldn't help but feel bitter resentment.

"And how did you come to meet this delightful young man, Prince Zuko?"

Zuko blinked at the sudden inclusion into the conversation. Face neutral, he said, "Same way I do most things: Through bad luck."

Iroh hummed in response. "Well, sometimes it takes a forest fire to obtain the soil needed for the brightest of flowers to bloom."

Zuko groaned. "Please, Uncle... can you please refrain from the proverbs? I don't think my head can take it."

Iroh chuckled. "Of course, Prince Zuko." Placing his teacup down, his expression became more solemn. "I'm afraid my asking you two for a private dinner was motivated by more than just my desire to spend time with my nephew and his new friend."

Beside him, Zuko could see Aang's posture stiffen a little, but he kept stroking the lemur's ears as though he were unaffected by the statement.

"I have heard a very brief account of what has transpired over the last several days..." Iroh went on, "... and before I decide to take any action or make any judgements, I want to hear _your_ side of the story."

Zuko could feel the blood drain from his face. This was the very _last_ thing he wanted to do. While he was sure that his uncle already had _some_ idea of how much Zuko had failed, there was no way he wanted to etch that idea any deeper into stone.

"I understand that this is not a topic that would be easy to discuss, therefore you don't have to talk about it now if you are not comfortable doing so," Iroh assured. "You don't even have to specifically _tell_ me. You can write it down if that would be easier. However, I would like to know soon, so that I have a guiding factor in dealing with the contingent; and with the White Lotus member known as Jet."

Aang stopped petting Momo, a frown adorning his face. "What do you mean, 'dealing with the contingent'?"

Iroh expression became more serious, a hint of anger shining through. "Depending on what the circumstance where and how the other members conducted themselves, it's possible that some disciplinary actions need to be taken."

"They didn't do anything wrong!" the airbender insisted. "They all did the best they could! And I mean, besides letting Zuko be..." He stopped himself mid-sentence, his eyes going wide before quickly turning to Zuko.

Wanting to avoid the unintentionally brought up topic, Zuko placed a hand on Aang's shoulder. "Look, it's been a really long day. Why don't you try and get some rest?"

Aang looked confused and a little panicked. "I want stay here," he said quickly.

"Of course," Iroh said. "You can rest over there for now." He pointed to a couch covered in blankets and pillows in the corner of the room. "We'll wake you up when dinner arrives."

Aang looked uncertain, but with dark bags under his eyes and his unstable posture, there was no doubt that he was exhausted. Zuko gave him a quick hug. "I'm not going anywhere," he said softly. "Go. Rest. You need it."

With a defeated nod, Aang stood and slowly walked over to the couch and collapsed. Momo let out an indignant squeak, but quickly readjusted himself so he was curled next to the airbender.

Within a couple minutes, the firebenders could see the even breathing that indicated unconsciousness. Iroh turned back to his nephew, expression still serious but eyes softened in concern. "I _have_ been told enough to know what Jet did to both you and Aang."

Zuko sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stave off the oncoming headache. "Uncle..."

Iroh held a hand up, stopping his nephew before he spoke further. "You don't need to talk about it now if you are not comfortable. I meant that. However, I would advise _against_ not speaking about it at all. It is not healthy for you to keep such things bottled up inside."

"Just because I'm not talking about it doesn't mean I'm bottling it up," Zuko growled.

Iroh didn't voice his disagreement even though it was evident in his expression. "I'm not saying you have to speak to me, specifically. You could speak about to anyone you trust, but I warn you: _Do not ignore it_. I'm sure you'll find that your repressed feelings will come out when you least wish it to."

"Fine," Zuko growled, having no intention of following his uncle's advice.

They sat in companionable silence, each sipping their respective drinks. There was obviously a lot they both wanted to say, but after seven years, neither of them seemed to know where to start.

"Oh..." Zuko dug into his tunic, pulling out the White Lotus tile. Sokka had given them most of their belongings back the previous day, though they didn't return his swords. Zuko wasn't particularly happy about that, feeling a bit naked without them, but figured they weren't worth arguing for. Now that they were here with his uncle, it shouldn't be a problem getting them back.

He placed the tile on the table, sliding it toward Iroh. "Here. Now that we're here, I don't really need it anymore."

Iroh just looked at it contemplatively for a moment before slowly picking it up.

"You know, Aang really likes Pai Sho," Zuko said, trying to start up a conversation. "He's pretty good at it too. 'Course it's hard to tell since I've only seen him play me. You should play with him, though. I think he'd give you a run for your money."

Iroh smiled as he examined the tile in his fingers. "I'm sure. Pai Sho was very highly regarded in the Air Nomads' culture." He turned to look at the sleeping airbender before turning back to his nephew. "Prince Zuko. How _did_ you meet Aang? How is it possible that he's survived all these years?"

Zuko let out a sigh before going on to explain how Aang became a part of his life, omitting many details (including how much Zuko had struggled to make the right decision). Then he explained what Aang had told him about being frozen in an iceberg for the duration of the war.

Iroh nodded with a sigh when Zuko finished. "It's hard to say whether it was very fortunate or very _un_fortunate that he managed to survive."

Zuko frowned. "What'd you mean?"

He didn't respond. Instead, he held the White Lotus tile out to Zuko. "Keep this," he said. "I fear you may become lost again, and I want you to be able to find your way back."

A little frustrated his uncle was starting to be cryptic, Zuko accepted the tile back. He was unsure if his uncle meant literally or figuratively, but he was afraid that his uncle was going to be right either way.

* * *

**I can't tell if Iroh is really easy or really hard to write... you guys should review and let me know how I did :P**


	22. Chapter 22

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**This was an INCREDIBLY difficcult chapter to write. I'm not very good with these types of transition chapters... Oh well :)**

**I'll try and have another update for you guys by Tuesday!**

**Enjoy Chapter 22!**

* * *

_"Please, Father! I only had the Fire Nation's best interest at heart! I'm sorry I spoke out of turn!"_

_But his father would have none of it. He continued to step forward, face twisted in a disgusted scowl._

_Unwillingly, Zuko began to tremble. This was a disaster. If only he hadn't spoken out. If only he hadn't accepted the Agni Kai. But... it would have been dishonorable to refuse it._

_But isn't it dishonorable to fight your own father?_

_He fell to his knees and pressed his head to the floor, **begging** his father to forgive him._

_"You **will** learn respect..." Ozai said, disgust evident in his voice. "... and **suffering**... will be your teacher."_

_Tears of fear and shame streamed down the prince's face at his father's words. And against his better judgement, he looked up..._

_… just in time to for the stream of flame to hit his face._

_At first, Zuko's screams were of anguish. Anguish that his father thought so little of him - that he was so worthless - that Ozai saw it fit to burn off his face. But an instant later, an all consuming pain engulfed him, making his screams louder and shriller. With each passing moment, he prayed to every known spirits' name that the pain would ease._

_Instead, it continued, not giving him any relief until he blissfully passed out._

_He let out another scream as a blade pierced his shoulder, digging itself into the soft flesh._

_Zuko opened his eyes to find Jet's face mere inches from his own. "How does that feel, Fire Nation **scum**?" Jet growled, slowly twisting the kunai. Zuko cried out, but then bit his lip, not wanting to give Jet the satisfaction. Though he still squirmed and twitched in pain, unbidden tears forming in his eyes._

_Suddenly, the sound of flesh pounding on flesh could be heard in the distance. Increasing in volume by the second, soon he could hear panting and moans of pleasure, primal growls occasionally breaking through._

_The firebender ignored it, too preoccupied by the constant stabs of pain radiating from his shoulder. But it just kept getting louder and louder until he was overwhelmed by it._

_Finally, a barely audible undercurrent of whimpers made itself known. They were pained and in time with the pounding._

_"Zuko... Zuko, please help me...!"_

_Zuko's heart nearly stopped at those words. "Aang!" he called out. He tried to sit up, but there were hundreds of blades now, all piercing his body and pinning him to the ground. He let out a primal scream at the pain that was eating away at every inch of his flesh._

_"Zuko please!"_

_Pain... just so much **pain**..._

_"Stop this!" Zuko begged, his voice hoarse. He was helpless. Weak. Worthless. "Please, I'll do anything! Just stop this! Stop! STOP!"_

_"Zuko...! Zuko!"_

"Zuko! Wake up!"

Zuko let out a strangled gasp and he found himself staring into darkness. With a desperate groan, he curled into a small ball, the all consuming pain still lingering throughout his body. He rubbed his arms with a sob, trying to rub the pain away. As the seconds went by, the pain was fading and it was all becoming more and more just a bad memory.

As he slowly came back to full awareness, he became aware that he was trembling. He was probably chilled from the layer of sweat that coated his skin. He also became aware of an arm wrapped around his neck and a gentle hand on his head, slowly smoothing his hair. Zuko closed his eyes, mentally relishing the physical comfort for all that it was worth.

"It's okay..." a whispered voice said. "We're okay... we're here with your uncle now. Everything's fine..."

Eventually gathering up enough courage, Zuko opened his eyes to find Aang laying next to him. The young airbender's eyes were focused on his, wide with concern. Even when Zuko's trembling began to cease, Aang continued to run his fingers through his hair and murmur familiar reassurances.

His still-healing fingers were sore from being clenched into fists for so long, but other than that, the pain seemed to be gone. Uncurling his body, Zuko sat up and pulled Aang into a tight embrace. Burying his face into the nook of the airbender's neck, Zuko squeezing him so hard, he actually feared for a moment that he would snap Aang in two. "You're alright..." he breathed.

Aang wrapped his arms around Zuko's shoulders and nodded his head. "I'm okay."

He began trembling again, holding onto his lover like a lifeline. When Aang started to rub his back, his breathing became halted. "Shh..." Aang said quietly. "I'm here... we're safe..."

Apparently those were the magic words, because that's when Zuko lost it. He began to sob freely into the airbender's shoulder, twisting his fists into the fabric of Aang's tunic. Not caring about how weak or pathetic he looked, Zuko let himself go.

And Aang held him without hesitation or judgement, continuing to whisper softly into the firebender's ear.

* * *

It was about noon on the day after they all had arrived at the White Lotus Headquarters. Starting early in the morning, some of the higher ranked Lotus members - including the Dragon of the West himself - had been taking testimonies from all of the members of the contingent. Everyone was taken into a room alone where one of the top brass took down their story. Katara suspected they were trying to make sure there was no collaboration to hide any details.

While Katara had been able to keep up a strong front while recounting the events from her view, by the end she was ready to collapse. She had been 'lucky' enough to be heard by the Dragon of the West, his passionate gaze having done nothing for her anxiety. He was nice enough, but the waterbender could tell that it wasn't much more than an act. As she told her story, he gave no indication to what he was thinking, making her feel worse and worse as it went on.

When she was finished, the Dragon of the West finished up writing his last notes and looked back up. "Your name is Katara, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

He nodded. "My nephew mentioned you last night."

Despite herself, she blushed and squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. "Did he?"

"Yes. He said that you were a wonderful young woman. A strong warrior and a proficient healer."

"Well..." she said uncomfortably. "I-I've had lots of practice..."

He nodded, considering her for a moment. "Tell me, what is your relationship with Jet?"

Katara stiffened, then cursed herself for giving such a telling sign. "He... I used to consider him a dear friend," she said carefully. "After what he's done, I don't want anything to do with him." She was still, unfortunately, carrying his child. She, Sokka, and Toph were in a different section of the Headquarters than everyone else, so she hadn't been able to find Song yet.

"And what exactly had he done to make your opinion of him change so drastically?"

Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "I told you..." she said, "Jet had... raped Aang! How could I possibly consider him a friend after having done such a thing?!"

The Dragon of the West silently stared at her, belaying no emotion. "So the fact that he was torturing Zuko had nothing to do with your change of heart?"

Something invisible lodged itself in Katara's throat, making her choke. Vision suddenly blurring, she shook her head vehemently. "No! I mean... Aang was just the final straw! I told Jet not to torture him! I _told_ him not sink to their level! None of us wanted to do it! Sokka made a deal with Jet to postpone it so we could hopefully prevent it! But...! But...! We just couldn't see any other way! We want this war _over_! We want to _win_ at _any_ cost and we still didn't _want_ to torture him! We didn't want that blood on our hands! There was a firebender with a horribly abused boy with him! What were we _supposed_ to think!?"

Katara buried her face in her hands as she broke down sobbing. Her repressed emotions - everything from finding out about her pregnancy, to dealing with their treatment of Zuko, to discovering that Jet had raped Aang, and finally, to her encounter with Jet when he regained consciousness - they all poured out of her, floodgates having unexpectedly been opened.

A hand was placed on her shoulder, and she shot her head up in surprise. The Dragon of the West was standing next to her, looking at her with eyes narrowed in... pain? "I healed him," she croaked out desperately. "I healed them both."

The old man gave a strained smile. "I know," he said softly. "I know that this must be unimaginably painful for you. And... I know what you and your friends have done to try and make this right."

Fresh tears made themselves known, falling freely down Katara's face. It was as though a large portion of a heavy burden had suddenly been lifted. "We have..." she agreed. "We really, really have..."

As he patted her on the shoulder, he looked as though he wanted to say something. Then, after a moment, he said, "How far along are you?"

Katara frowned before she realized what he meant. "What? How can you...?"

"I have been around a long time. I recognize some of the more subtle signs of a woman carrying a child."

She looked away, face burning. "A month. Month and a half at most."

"I see... And I assume the father is Jet."

Katara felt tears well up in her eyes again, but blinked them back. _Ugh, I'm not usually this much of a crybaby!_ "Yes," she responded quietly.

There was a minute of silence before he gave her one last pat on the shoulder and he returned to his seat. "I wish you all the luck in the world, young lady."

Quickly wiping the last of her tears away, Katara stood and gave a low bow. "Thank you very much, sir."

"Please..." he said with a smile. "Call me Iroh."

* * *

Their first full day at the White Lotus Headquarters had passed by in a blur. Which surprised Aang, especially since they didn't really do anything interesting. They had eaten three very filling meals, during which they had long conversations about... well, nothing really... with Iroh. In between these mealtimes, Iroh was off dealing with White Lotus business, and Zuko and Aang were being measured for new clothes, given health examinations (which was miserable for both of them), and questioned about what their weapons of choice were. Aang had no idea what to say, but they kept pressing him, so finally he quietly said that he used to have a glider which also served as a staff. This seemed to placate them enough to make them go away.

Overall, it had been utterly exhausting day. Of course, it hadn't helped that neither he nor Zuko got much sleep the previous night.

That was probably the _main_ reason the day was mostly a blur to Aang. He was just so preoccupied, rerunning what had happened last night over and over in his head.

When Zuko had first told him about what his father had done to him for speaking out, Aang had been surprised that Zuko never seemed to get nightmares. In a small way, it made Aang feel weaker for not being able to sleep peacefully at night.

Which is why Aang was startled and frightened when he was awakened by Zuko's whimpering and twitching. Of course, Aang immediately recognized what was happening, having all too much personal experience. It took a few good shakes, but he did manage to wake Zuko up. But he didn't seem to be aware of his surroundings and he curled into himself and shut down. Surprisingly, without even a moment's hesitation, Aang laid down next to him - keeping his gaze focused on Zuko's face - and started stroking the firebender's dark hair, whispering soft reassurances. Mostly, he just tried to mimic the actions Zuko took whenever _he_ had nightmares. Even though it was something he'd never actually had to do before, Aang found it surprisingly easy to whisper comfortable and physically soothe him.

As the airbender ran over the details of the previous night, he found that he felt strangely proud of himself for being able to comfort Zuko as effectively as he did. He realized that he was just as capable of comforting someone else as Zuko was. He wasn't _just_ a burden.

When they had woken up in the morning, Zuko had avoided eye contact with him and muttered an apology. Aang, completely aware of the irony, told him that he didn't need to apologize. Zuko hadn't responded and they had gone on with their day.

And _that_, more than anything, made Aang realize something: Zuko needed him just as much as he needed Zuko. He wasn't being selfish for taking comfort from Zuko's actions, because - as much as the firebender tried to hide it - Zuko needed those comforts just as much as he did.

It gave Aang a new sense of usefulness... of purpose. Zuko was trying to make him better? Well, he was going to try _twice_ as hard to help Zuko deal with _his_ hidden demons.

And maybe... just maybe... this was why they deserved each other.

With these new realizations fresh in mind, Aang found it easier to actively function throughout the day. He still didn't let Zuko out of his sight; he still tried to hide behind him when strangers were there; he was still extremely reluctant to speak to anyone besides Zuko and Iroh; but the near constant feeling of irrational fear and wretchedness over the fact that he was a worthless whore was definitely muted, making him just a bit more confident.

They had just finished eating dinner, and Iroh had grabbed his teapot and was brewing some ginseng tea. (His firebending made this a very quick process.) He poured both of them a cup before setting back down and taking a few sips. Iroh closed his eyes and sighed, enjoying a few moments of silence before adopting a more serious expression."There are a couple of things I need to address with you two."

Aang and Zuko exchanged a quick glance before returning their attention to Iroh.

"I have spent the majority of the day hearing everyone's testimony of what has taken place the last few days. Everyone's except yours' and Jet's. Now, while I am obligated to hear Jet's side of the story since he is the accused, you two do not _have_ to tell me anything. As it is... I wish to explain what _I_ believe are fair actions to be taken, taking into consideration all that I have heard so far. If you believe I have been misinformed or that I am not considering an important factor, please feel free to tell me so. Do you understand what I am asking?"

Aang slowly nodded, his stomach clenching uncomfortably. Zuko grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently before also nodding.

Iroh took another sip of his tea. "Jet has not only acted irresponsibly, but his actions seem to also suggest that he is a very disturbed young man. As it is at this moment, he is being cared for in a private room under constant surveillance. He has yet to regain consciousness, but when he has, I will hear his side of the story. Then, myself, Jeong Jeong, Pakku, and Bumi will decide what actions need to be taken. As it stands, Jet will most likely be locked away indefinitely, his status as a White Lotus member stripped.

"As for the contingent, it would seem that Jet, Sokka, Katara, and Toph were the ones in charge. Since everyone else was following orders, they will not be penalized in any way. Sokka, Katara, and Toph hold a bit more responsibility, as they allowed Jet to commit some of his crimes with full knowledge of their implications. However, once they discovered their mistakes, they seemed to show genuine regret and did everything in their power to make these wrongs right again. As such, I'm going to give them a formal reprimand." Iroh paused, looking carefully between Zuko and Aang. "Does all of this seem fair to you?"

In Aang's opinion, there weren't any actions that needed to be taken against the Water Tribe siblings and the earthbender. The only one who needed to face the consequences was Jet for what he did to Zuko. And by the sounds of it, he was going to get exactly what he deserved.

"That all sounds fine," Zuko said, voice a little strained.

Iroh gave a single nod. "Good. Now that we have gotten that unpleasant business out of the way..." He finished his tea and stood. "Follow me."

Momo chirped and flew up from his bed to try and land on Iroh's shoulders, but the general leaned away from the lemur. "No, my friend. You need to stay here. You'll only be frightened if you come with us."

The lemur's ears folded back as he purred sadly.

"You may eat our leftovers if you want," Iroh bribed.

Momo's ears immediately perked back up, and he quickly flew to where their dishes were, digging into what was left of their dinner.

When they first exited Iroh's room, there were a fair amount of people in the hallways, most of them taking a moment to greet the Dragon of the West. As Iroh led on, the hallways got more and more narrow and less and less populated. When there were no more people around them, Iroh started to explain. "There is other business for us to take care of that is much more important than dealing with Jet. And certainly more enjoyable."

Now that they were away from the curious eyes of other people, Aang felt free to openly hold Zuko's hand. He was grateful for this, as the constantly narrowing tunnels were wreaking havoc on his claustrophobia. And this 'other' business of Iroh's - no matter how enjoyable it was supposed to be - made Aang feel even more nervous.

Zuko tightened his grip and bumped his shoulder against his. _I'm right here._

Aang squeezed back. _I know._

They soon arrived at a dead end. However, the dead end was being guarded by two sentries, who both bowed upon seeing their leader.

Before continuing, Iroh turned and said, "What I'm about to show you is a matter of utmost secrecy. Only myself, a few other high ranking members of the White Lotus, and a few trusted others know about this. Are you ready?"

Everything that Iroh just said that made Aang feel very much _not_ ready. But with Zuko's warm, calloused hand tightly gripped with his, he took a deep breath and nodded.

"We're ready," Zuko said.

Iroh turned back to the sentries and gave a small nod. Acknowledging the silent order with another quick bow, they simultaneously stomped the ground and thrusted their arms downward. The end of the tunnel rumbled and slid downward into the earth. Bright light from the other side flooded the tunnel, making Aang flinch back. He blinked rapidly as he felt himself being pulled forward by Zuko. By the time they exited the tunnel, Aang's eyes had adjusted and he was able to see the huge, underground cavern they had just entered. He barely had time to process the immense size of it when a series of low rumbles echoed throughout the chamber, making his very bones vibrate.

"Dear... _Agni_," Zuko breathed.

Aang found himself silently sharing Zuko's sentiment as he stared at the long majestic bodies of several - supposedly extinct - _dragons_.

"This..." Iroh said, "... is how we intend to win the war."

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**Hehehe, you have no _idea_ how long I've been waiting for this! **

**Leave a review to let me know what you guys think :)**


	23. Chapter 23

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**You seriously have no idea how long I've been waiting for this. This idea of dragons, pretty much everything in this chapter was the first idea I had that gave birth to this ENTIRE story! I created this AU around the concepts in this chapter. On this little twist on dragons I made. This was such a fun chapter to write!**

**Enjoy Chapter 23!**

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Dragons.

Living, breathing, absolutely gorgeous _dragons_.

Ever since Zuko was a child, he had always loved and admired the dragons. Even if most of his kinsman seemed to think of them as no more than a long-since conquered enemy, Zuko had always secretly fantasized about having a draconic partner like in the days of old.

His uncle had helped breed in him a proper amount of respect and awe for the creatures, which is why Zuko had felt deeply betrayed when he discovered that Iroh himself had killed the last of their kind. For Zuko, there would always be a small part of him that would never forgive his uncle for that crime.

Except now he was faced with some very convincing evidence that his uncle's atrocious act had never been committed.

"You lied..." Zuko realized. "You lied about killing the last in order to stop people from hunting them."

Iroh just smiled like a schoolboy hiding a secret.

"Hunting them?" Aang echoed. "People were _hunting_ the dragons?!"

Before either Zuko or Iroh could respond, one of the dragons, who had been perched on a stone shelf, spread its wings and flew down towards them. As it approached, it curled its body and landed softly in front of them.

As it towered over them, Zuko found that he was having trouble breathing, hardly able to believe what he was seeing. It was huge; he felt as though he had to break his neck in order to actually see its head. Larger than the other dragons, it was probably the oldest. It was the colour of pure gold, marred by long lines of pale yellow and pink; evidence of old combat.

The dragon lowered its head until it was level with Iroh. When Iroh stepped forward, it reached out with one of its whiskers and touched the old man on his chest, right where his heart was.

"Zuko... Aang..." Iroh said. "I'd like to introduce you to my old friend, Hoshi. Hoshi..." he indicated the boys with his hand. "This is my nephew, Zuko, and his friend, Aang."

When Hoshi turned its head to face them, Zuko involuntarily stepped back. Aang, on the other hand, didn't seem to be nervous at all and stepped forward. He held up his hand, palm forward and waited. Not knowing what else to do, Zuko also stepped forward and imitated Aang.

_We killed your kind... My line is directly responsible for endangering the dragons..._

Hoshi reached toward them with its whiskers. As they gently touched the extended palms, Zuko couldn't help but lean back, feeling immensely unworthy to even be in the dragon's presence, let alone being formally introduced to it.

Him...? Her?

Then he noticed that his palm was getting hot where it was in contact with Hoshi's whisker. A surprisingly unthreatening rumble came from Hoshi's throat. In fact... it sounded as though it was introducing itself. Aang let out a small giggle beside him, and Zuko couldn't really blame him. He was feeling a bit giddy himself.

"She likes you," Iroh stated. "Of course, she's pretty amicable towards most people."

At the sound of the general's voice, Hoshi pulled her whiskers away and looked back at him. Lowering herself so her belly was against the ground, gently nudged Iroh with her nose.

Iroh laughed. "Or it could be because you're with me."

Zuko shook his head, trying very hard not to think about how easily it would be for her to swallow Iroh whole. "Uncle..."

Iroh placed a hand on Hoshi's nose, eliciting a purr from the dragon. "I first met Hoshi nearly thirty years ago. While my mission at the time was to kill a dragon and prove myself a superior warrior, I found myself taken off guard by that brute over here." He pointed to a smaller red dragon that was sharpening its claws against a stalagmite. "He was, literally, about to bite my head off when Hoshi intervened. Obviously unaware of what my mission was, she knocked Kazuko off of me saved my life." His eyes glazed over in memory. "I spent the next month amongst what was left of the dragons. The experience changed my life."

Zuko was terribly envious, but also incredibly impressed. "Dragons are the original firebenders..." he said. "You must have learned so much!"

"Oh yes, but not just about firebending. I learned just how intelligent and sophisticated they are." His expression soured. "As well with how cruel they can be." Hoshi lifted her head and huffed indignantly. "Oh, don't get upset with me just because I don't approve all of your superstitions."

Zuko looked at Aang, expecting to share a look of confusion over how Iroh was interacting with the dragon. However, Aang didn't seem to be confused or surprised at all. In fact, if anything, Aang looked a little sad. Zuko placed a hand on his shoulder and Aang looked up at him with his eyes brimming with tears. "Aang?"

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, wiping his eyes. "It's just... I miss Appa."

Zuko frowned, failing to see where Aang's mind was making the connection. "Your flying bison?"

Iroh turned back to them. "You have a flying bison?" he asked curiously.

Aang's shoulders drooped. "I used to..." he said softly.

Iroh nodded solemnly. "The Air Nomads and the Fire Nation pre-Sozin's war shared the tradition of becoming lifelong companions with a member of the original benders. Benders would be introduced to a group of dragons - or in your case, sky bison - and they would choose amongst each other their companions for life."

"Hoshi is your companion," Aang stated.

Iroh looked at the dragon and smiled, stroking a hand along her muzzle. "That she is."

"So... does this mean you can read each other's minds?" Zuko asked. "Because you talk to her as though you're having a conversation."

"Becoming a companion with an original bender creates a deep spiritual connection. They become a part of each other. They understand each other better than anyone else possibly could. So... it is not so much that we can read each other's minds as much as it is that we can understand each other implicitly."

Zuko looked back at the airbender, now understanding his sad expression. He wrapped his arms around Aang's shoulders and squeezed, knowing he didn't have any words to comfort him.

"Come," Iroh said. "Let me introduce you to the others."

They began to walk down to the deepest and largest part of the cavern. As Hoshi flew down, she let out a sharp cry, gaining the others' attention. One by one, they all started to gather.

"You said that this was how you intend to win the war," Zuko stated as they walked down the man-made stairs. "How exactly?"

"Ozai believes that the dragons are dead, you see," Iroh explained. "He won't be expecting to have resistance from the sky. With the remaining dragons partnered with the few firebenders among our ranks, we could have a powerful enough surprise attack that could end this war. The key is when and where should this attack should take place so that it can cause the most damage."

"The capital city," Zuko said. "If we can capture my father and the war generals, that would effectively be the end."

"That is our thinking, as well. The only problem, then, is _when_? Even with fifteen partnered dragons on our side, it will still be most difficult to bring down the capital. Of course, that is a question for later. There is a more troubling issue that needs resolving first."

When they finally got to the bottom, all the dragons were there waiting for them. The first to be introduced was Kazuko, the red dragon Iroh had referred to before. He was nearly as large as Hoshi, though she was clearly older and more dignified. When Iroh introduced him, the dragon merely huffed and refused to acknowledge them. It took a bit of growling on Hoshi's part to get him to bow down and reluctantly touch their palms briefly.

"He's a charmer..." Zuko murmured.

Kazuko growled, until Hoshi gave him a sharp look. He seemed to give a small shrug before flying off to where he had been sharpening his claws before.

"He is Jeong Jeong's companion," Iroh said dryly. "Which is not really all that shocking once you get to know them..."

One by one, they were introduced to all the others. While Zuko and Aang repeated the same greeting as they had done with Hoshi and Kazuko, Zuko found himself fascinated. Watching each dragon, they were so much like people. In their short introductions, he was able to discern the wide range of their personalities.

Finally, Iroh turned to the last two dragons and said, "And then there are these two... who are the more troubling issue at hand."

They looked much younger and were _much_ smaller than the others. They were probably only about twenty feet long each. One of them was pitch black in colour and was actually difficult to see in the dimly lit cavern. The other was the exact opposite; with a pure white body, the other dragon practically glowed.

And there was a clear difference in demeanor between these two and the other dragons. They were curled around each other and stood separately from the others. The white one was curled low to the ground while the black one stood over it, staring at the newcomers aggressively.

"The black one is Kurohi and the white one is Shiroku," Iroh said. "They're siblings. Twins, really; the only survivors from their clutch. They are also Hoshi's only living children. At forty-three years old, they are the dragon equivalent of teenagers."

Even though Zuko really knew nothing about dragons, he could clearly see that something was wrong. Neither he nor Aang tried to greet them as they did the others, subconsciously understanding that it wouldn't be accepted and possibly dangerous. "Are they alright?" Zuko asked.

Iroh sighed. "Dragons, in all of their majesty, are very superstitious creatures. I think by driving them near extinction, we have only exacerbated the problem." He pulled them away from the twins, speaking in a low voice. "Most dragons are not white. In all the resources I have about dragons, I have never once read or heard of a white one. Not even the slightest mention. In that way, Shiroku is one of a kind. However, when he hatched... Hoshi immediately rejected him because he was the colour of death. Because of her status amongst the remaining dragons, they also rejected him. His introduction to the world was a cold, lonely one. Having been left to his own devices, the only reason he's still alive is because of his sister, Kurohi. She has always made sure that he gets food and has done her best to keep him away from the others. However, she is just a dragonling herself and has not always been successful in protecting him from the cruel actions of the older dragons.

"When I first found the dragons thirty years ago, I was appalled by Hoshi's behavior. Her neglect was uncalled for and has caused Shiroku unnecessary pain and misery. It is one of our only ongoing contentions. However, there is little I can do. Even now, I cannot do much more than treat him the same as I do all the others. However, all of the dragons still openly reject him, sometimes going out of their way to show he's not wanted."

Aang's grip on Zuko's arm got tighter, the young man trembling slightly. "That's... _horrible_," Aang said quietly.

Iroh nodded. "That it is. Knowing this, it is easy to understand why Kurohi would be so fiercely protective of him. Unfortunately... this has created another problem. You see, every dragon here has been partnered. Every dragon... except these two. Which isn't a lack of trying. Kurohi, it seems, has refused to take a companion until Shiroku accepts one. The remaining, unpartnered firebenders in our ranks have gone to great lengths to try and earn their trust. Almost all of them have been successful in that regard, but Shiroku has rejected every single one of them."

"Well, why do they have to be partnered?" Aang said. "I get that it's so they can help win the war, but if they don't want to fight, then why force them?" he asked desperately.

Iroh shook his head. "They do want to fight. Both of them. In fact, I think Shiroku wants to fight more than Kurohi. I can tell that it has been immensely frustrating for him that he hasn't found a companion."

"You mean... it's not a choice?" Zuko asked.

Finally, Aang seemed to be just as confused. "At the Air Temples, we _chose_ our companions. They even warned us to be careful when choosing our bison since it was for life."

"I'm afraid that isn't that simple for dragons," Iroh said sadly. "The spiritual connection that forms between us is not of our choosing nor will. Believe me, Hoshi was just as surprised as I was when our connection was made."

Suddenly, the whole cavern started to shake. Zuko and Aang both jumped in alarm, looking around the cavern for the source of the noise.

Iroh chuckled and pointed to the ceiling. "It would seem that the enjoyable part of this evening is about to begin."

When Zuko looked up, it took him a moment to understand what he was seeing. When he was able to identify that the growing black expanse above, he nearly fell over backwards as he realized the ceiling was being _pulled away_, revealing the night sky.

"It is not healthy for creatures of the sky to be trapped underground," Iroh said. "So we let them fly for a couple hours, but only in the cover of night and only on random occasions. We wish them to remain hidden, after all."

As the opening above them got larger and larger, the dragons started taking off. The sound of beating wings echoing loudly the the cavern as the air swirled around them and nearly knocked them off their feet. Ribbons of streaming colour launched themselves towards the sky with strong bursts of air before disappearing into the darkness. Kurohi and Shiroku were the last to leave. When they did, Kurohi almost immediately disappeared against the black night, but Shiroku's white body shimmered and glowed like the crescent moon above him.

"They'll be back in a couple hours," Iroh stated as the ceiling reclosed itself.

Once Shiroku's silver body disappeared into the light of the moon, Zuko said, "I still don't see why we _have_ to find a human companion for him. Can't dragons fight without a companion?"

"They can," Iroh said, "but they are more likely to get themselves killed. As I mentioned before, the connection between a dragon and its human companion is deeply spiritual and can greatly enhance the senses, the skill, and ability of both of them. But even more than this... Dragons are very aggressive creatures. When their fighting instinct kick in, they will stop at nothing to gain victory, even at the risk of ending their own life. Given that there are only fifteen left now, we want to take all measure necessary to keep them all alive. If they share a connection with someone, they're much more likely to preserve their own life for the sake of their companion."

"Then why don't you just keep Shiroku and Kurohi from fighting?" Zuko asked.

Iroh laughed. "You don't just _keep_ a dragon away from a battle. Especially not a battle they _wish_ to participate in. The only one who would have enough sway with a dragon to keep them from fighting would be a companion. And of course, if that were the case, then we wouldn't _need_ to do so."

With a tired sigh, Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose and sat down on the ground. "That _is_ a problem..."

Aang sat down next to him, rest his head on Zuko's shoulder. "You should try..." he said quietly.

Without moving his head, Zuko opened his eyes and looked down at him. "What?"

"You should try partnering with Shiroku."

The young firebender's eyes widened as he looked up at his uncle. "Is that what you want me to do? Try and become Shiroku's partner?" he asked incredulously.

"Well... yes and no," Iroh said. "A few months ago, when I heard that the Fire Nation Royal Guard was after a pair of young men - one with your description - I seriously considered that you could befriend and eventually be able to partner with Shiroku. Of course, there was no reason to believe that you had any greater chance of being accepted by him than any of our other firebenders."

Zuko knew that Iroh didn't mean anything personal by the statement, but it was still a blow to his pride.

"However, something was bugging me," Iroh continued. "Something about the description of the young man who was apparently accompanying you." He sat down in front of them, lotus style. "_A young man, about fifteen years of age, tattooed with blue arrows._ It rang a bell somewhere in the back of my mind. And after a little bit of research, I realized what such tattoos meant. It was then that I started to form a theory."

Aang, probably self-conscious, pulled his hair down to cover his forehead and crossed his arms tightly across his chest.

"What kind of theory...?" Zuko asked carefully.

Instead of answering, the general said, "Do you know what we need? We need tea."

Aang blinked incredulously at the general as Zuko let out a low moan of frustration.

After a sentry brought by some tea for the three of them, Iroh took a couple sips and sighed. "Much better..." He brought the cup down and rested it on top of his knee. "Now, do either of you know the story of how the dragons came to be?" They shook their heads. "That does not surprise me. I do not think it was a common story amongst the Air Nomads, and it has since become taboo in the Fire Nation." Taking a long draught of his tea, he closed his eyes and began the tale.

_"Long ago, before the idea of humanity had even been conceived, the spirits of the world freely roamed the earth. Among these spirits, there were two brothers: Agni and Vaayu. It was without a doubt that these two brothers were among the strongest of the spirits. Agni commanded the sun and the magma deep beneath the earth's crust, providing warmth, light, and even rich soil in which a variety of life can live and thrive. Vaayu commanded the weather needed to appropriately drench the soil in water and dry the lands efficiently, all the while providing the very air we breath. Together, along with a few other powerful spirits, they kept peace and balance._

_"But it was not to last. Before long, a rivalry grew between the brothers. Who was the most powerful? Who was most necessary for the the world to survive? A terrible war was waged; horrendous fire storms burned the lands, massive gales ripped ancient trees straight out of the ground. It wasn't until Agni had pulled his element from all the volcanos and Vaayu had summoned a century-long storm that the earth was consumed in ash and water; completely razed by this legendary battle._

_"Tui and La, Push and Pull, Ying and Yang... the spirits of the ocean and the moon have many names. They are the masters of balance and harmony. Without a foreseeable end to the brothers' conflict, they stepped in and put a stop to the fighting. Once they realized the destruction they had caused, Agni and Vaayu agreed that they are of different but equal ability and promised to never again fight, least destroy the world they both love. As a symbol of their everlasting promise, they brought their powers together to create a creature of both fire and air: the dragon."_

When he was done, Iroh raised his cup again and downed its contents. "And so, from this legend, we know that the lineage of dragons is of both fire and air. A fact long forgotten by the - quite literal - fires of war."

His mind starting to make the connections, Zuko shook his head incredulously. "No... no way... you can't _possibly_ be suggesting that..."

Iroh nodded. "Yes. The reason Shiroku has not accepted one of the firebenders is because he is not destined for a firebender. He's destined for an _airbender_."

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**Leave a review to let me know what you guys think :)**


	24. Chapter 24

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**I think you guys are going to notice a decline in the quality of my updates soon... my personal life has taken a sharp turn. It's been a _great_ turn, but kind of life-changing nonetheless. As a result, it seems to have resulted in a sort of writer's block. I'm forcing myself to continue to write (my goal is to have this story finished by the end of the summer) but I'm afraid the quality of the writing is going down.**

**Also, I figured I might as well and share the meaning of the dragons' names.**

**Hoshi = 星 = Star**

**Kazuko = 和子 = roughly, Child of Harmony**

**Kurohi = 黒火 = Black Fire**

**Shiroku = 白苦 = roughly, White Suffering**

**Really, these names were just an excuse for me to practice my Japanese :P**

**Enjoy Chapter 24!**

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"TOPH!"

The blind earthbender paused in her attack, feeling Bumi doing the same from across the arena. "What do you want, Snoozles?" Toph asked, irritated that they were interrupted. "I'm a little busy proving I'm the best earthbender in the world!"

"Save your rock throwing for later! Katara and I want to get some dinner and _I_ want to get there before all the meat is gone!"

"Ugh, fine..." Toph replaced the boulders she was about to haul at the old king and said, "Temporary truce?"

"As long as it's only temporary," Bumi replied, dissolving into his snorting laughter.

Sokka practically ran to the cafeteria, Toph following close behind. She might not be as meat obsessed as he was, but she definitely had a healthy appreciation for the tasty substance.

When they arrived at the cafeteria, they found Katara, filled up their plates and found a relatively secluded place to sit. "So how was training?" Toph asked.

"Wonderful," Katara said. "It was nice to be able to actually refine my skills. Pakku says I'm well on my way to becoming a master! I also got some help from one of the waterbending healers here, which I was way overdue for."

Toph was glad that the waterbender seemed to be in higher spirits. Earlier, after she was questioned by General Iroh, Katara had been clearly upset. When Toph asked her how it went, Katara said that it went fine and that she was fine. Toph was surprised to realize that she wasn't lying. While the experience had obviously upset her, she _was_ fine.

_Yeah... the old man can have that effect on people._

Shifting her position so her foot was lined up with Katara's body, Toph realized that she could still hear the second heartbeat. _So she hasn't done it yet..._

"It was definitely nice to see Master Piandao again," Sokka said though a mouthful of something (Toph assumed meat). "And, if I don't say so myself, he was very impressed with how far I've gotten without him."

"How about you, Toph?" Katara asked. "I hear King Bumi is one of the best."

"Eh, he's alright," the earthbender said casually. "But of course, he's got _nothing_ on me."

"Weren't you guys declaring a truce when I found you?" Sokka said. "Doesn't that mean that neither of you have won and are probably about on the same level?"

"Okay, I'll admit he's got some skill... At the very least, he's fun to fight with."

They continued chatting about their experiences with the masters, all of them pointedly ignoring the topic of their earlier testimonies or of Jet.

"I wonder how Zuko and Aang are doing..." Katara said.

"I'm sure they're fine," Sokka said. "Afterall, Zuko is the _nephew_ of the Dragon of the West. I'm sure they're both being very well taken care of."

"Still..." Katara said slowly. "I'd like to see them again. Check up on them... See what they meant by _Prince Zuko_..."

Toph yawned, the large meal she had just consumed making her drowsy. "Well, isn't it obvious? Zuko is _the_ Prince Zuko: the Firelord's son."

Katara crossed her arms on the table. "I mean... I know that's really the only reasonable explanation. It's just so _unbelievable_. Zuko? The son of Firelord Ozai? He seemed so... so..."

"So _'not evil'_?" Sokka offered.

Katara sighed. "In a manner of speaking... yes. But also, what does that imply about General Iroh. It can't possibly be that he's Firelord Ozai's _brother_, can it?"

"You guys really don't know your politics, do you?" Toph teased, having figured out all of this a while ago.

"We grew up in the South Pole," Sokka said exasperatedly. "It's not like we got regular reports of what was going on in the world."

Toph sighed. "He's _General Iroh_. The eldest son of Firelord Azulon. Older brother to... you guessed it... Firelord Ozai."

"But if that's the case, why isn't _he_ the Firelord? What happened to the right of succession?" Katara asked.

"Apparently Azulon named Ozai his successor in his will. Given what General Iroh is doing now, Azulon probably realized that he didn't have the appropriate 'the-Fire-Nation-is-the-best-nation' attitude."

Katara buried her face in her hands. "Do you guys feel like we've gotten ourselves into a giant mess just waiting to explode?"

Toph was about to ask her what exactly she was _expecting_, when the entire room started to shake. A loud rumbling swept through the room, making its occupants cover their ears. Toph slapped her hand against the wall, trying to get an idea of what was going on. _It's... like the ground is being pulled back..._

"What's going on!?" Sokka shouted over the loud rumbling.

"It's an earthquake!" one of the nearby Lotus members shouted back.

Toph frowned. This was no earthquake...

It wasn't long before the shaking stopped, and an audible sigh of relief swept through the room.

"We get them about once a week or so," the same Lotus member said. "There was one earlier too. Didn't you guys feel it about a couple hours ago?"

The trio shook their heads. Of course, they had all been quite a distance away when they were training earlier. But Toph wasn't buying it. She would have felt an earthquake like that. Which means, whatever was going on, it was localized phenomenon.

"Well, don't worry about it," the Lotus member said. "It's a common occurrence."

"Right..." Toph said. She stood and yanked on Katara and Sokka's clothes and gestured to them to follow her.

They seemed confused, but didn't question her. She led them back to their room, and when she was sure no one was nearby, she sealed them in using her bending.

"Toph, what's wrong?" Katara asked.

"That was _not_ an earthquake."

"What are you talking about?" Sokka asked. "We're not under attack, are we?"

"No..." Toph slammed her hand into the wall next to her, trying to get a clearer picture. "There's a large cavern near the foot of the mountain, about a couple miles from here. Judging from what I felt during the so-called earthquake, it's like the earth above the cavern had been pulled apart then put back together again. In other words: definitely the work of earthbenders, not the Fire Nation."

"Why would earthbenders be opening and closing a cavern like that?" Katara asked. "To let people in?"

Toph snorted. "That was a pretty big hole for _people_... Look, I don't know _what's_ going on. I'm just telling you what I'm seeing. And... that it's _definitely_ something to do with the White Lotus. There's no way earthbenders as good as King Bumi would buy that '_earthquake_' crap."

"And since no alarm was raised, people like King Bumi already know about whatever's going on," Sokka concluded. Toph nodded. "Hmm... I wonder..." he said.

"Sokka..." Katara warned, "... what are you planning?"

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I think we should check it out. See the secret workings of the White Lotus for ourselves."

"Sokka, _no!_ If we haven't been told about it already, then they obviously don't want us to know about it!"

"C'mon, Sugar Queen... where's your sense of adventure?" Toph taunted.

"Have you guys already forgotten this morning? We're in enough trouble as it is. The last thing I think we should do is go snooping around!"

"You're telling me you're not curious about the gaping hole that's apparently being torn into the ground on a weekly basis?" Toph asked.

"Look, we're not going to get in trouble," Sokka reassured. "We're not even going to get caught. We have Toph with us, she'll lead us away from people who could possibly find us. Let's just go have a peak and see what's going on."

Katara growled, tapping her foot on the ground, but Toph smiled. She could tell that the waterbender was very curious, but it was in conflict with her everlasting desire to do what was 'right'.

"Fine," she finally said. "But if we get kicked out of the White Lotus for this..."

"Katara, _relax_. We'll be fine," Sokka assured. His sister merely grunted discontentedly.

"There seems to be a single tunnel that runs in that direction," Toph said. "Let's head down that way, and once we're closer, I'll have a better idea of how we should approach this."

* * *

The ceiling of the cavern reopened as the dragons returned. Once all fifteen were accounted for, the rock above them rumbled back into place.

Zuko and Iroh had stood when the dragons started streaming in, but Aang remained seated, back pressed firmly against one of the stalagmites. His vision was swimming and the world seemed to be tilting back and forth at an alarming rate.

Him? They wanted _him_ to partner with a _dragon?_

Why him? Of all people, Aang was the _last_ person he would have chosen to be worthy of that kind of companionship again. Especially considering how miserably he failed his _previous_ companion.

The feelings of usefulness and confidence from earlier all but vanished as he involuntarily remembered the day he was broken out of that iceberg. The confusion, the shouting, the unbearable cold... and then the sickening warmth as he was suddenly doused in Appa's blood.

Aang clenched his head and closed his eyes, trying to block the memory, keep it from resurfacing. But his mind seemed determined to make him relive it. Again.

The Water Tribe merchants were shouting angrily, but it was barely audible over Appa's roars of pain. Aang was screaming, begging them to stop. All too quickly, Appa slumped to the ground and fell silent. And Aang cried out as if a piece of himself had just been forcibly ripped from his chest.

He couldn't do it. After failing Appa, he had no right to try and _replace_ him. He would only end up failing them, too. For Spirits' sake, he couldn't even take care of _himself_. He was just a dirty, murdering whore who had no right to such an honor, no right to fill the achingly gaping hole left behind by Appa... Not after how much he's failed. Not after everything he's _done_.

"Aang... _Aang!_"

Aang's eyes snapped open, but it didn't make a difference. Between the tears that just wouldn't go away and the black spots dancing in his vision, he could barely make out Zuko's face in front of him. "I-I can't..." he gasped out. "I c-can't... _Appa_..."

He felt himself being engulfed by a warm embrace, the familiar comforting scent overwhelming his senses. "Just breathe, Aang... No one's going to make you do _anything_... Just breathe with me..."

Aang closed his eyes again, this time concentrating on the chest pressed against his. It was at this point that he realized he was hyperventilating, each breath a desperate gasp for air. His hiccupping sobs made it difficult, but as he listened to Zuko's voice, Aang found that his body was slowly syncing with Zuko's. It took a few minutes, but soon enough, his breathing had slowed to normal breathing rate. Though his breath was still stuttering and fine trembles continued to run through his body.

"Are you okay?" Zuko whispered into his ear.

Feeling unusually embarrassed. Aang quickly nodded and pulled himself out of Zuko's embrace. "_Agni_..." he quietly cursed. "I'm sorry... I-I don't know w-why..."

Zuko frowned, keeping a hand on the airbender's shoulder. "It's fine, Aang." He rubbed his hands up and down Aang's biceps. "It's fine..."

"Prince Zuko..." Iroh said slowly, trying to get his attention.

"Not now, Uncle..." Zuko growled.

When Aang's eyes were finally able to focus past Zuko's shoulder, he nearly choked on the the very air he was breathing.

Kurohi was standing about two feet away from them.

"Aang?" Zuko asked, worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Kurohi, who actually _rolled her eyes_, stepped closer and snorted out a hot gust of air. Zuko spun around, his eyes going comically wide as found himself inches away from Kurohi's snout. Letting out a sharp yelp, Zuko jumped back, ending up shoulder to shoulder next to Aang against the stalagmite. She seemed to snort in satisfaction, before turning her golden eyes to Aang, her head cocking slightly.

"Kurohi...?" Iroh questioned.

She let out a low rumble, her eyes never leaving Aang. Not far behind her, Shiroku swung his head from side to side, wanting to see what was going on, but also not wanting to get any closer to them.

Kurohi slowly lowered her head. Her body followed suit, bowing downward until she was completely against the ground, her eyes still shining up at him.

Aang was completely baffled. He was holding his breath, sitting stone still. Even with Kurohi firmly pressed against the ground, their eyes were near level with each other, and Aang found himself getting lost in the depths of her pale saffron eyes, bright like polished gold.

"She has your eyes..." Aang breathed.

"_What?_" Zuko hissed.

"Her eye colour is the same as yours..."

Zuko didn't respond, but in his periphery, Aang could see him leaning forward slightly.

Another rumble radiating from Kurohi's chest, she stretched her neck forward and lifted her head slightly. Ever so slowly, she reached forward with one of her whiskers. When neither Aang nor Zuko gave any reaction, she let it rest on Aang's knee.

"It seems she is worried about you..." Iroh said.

Swallowing down the lump in his throat, Aang slowly lifted one of his hands and gently rested it on top of the whisker. He flinched slightly when it wriggled under his hand, but as it slowly slithered up around his forearm, making it unnaturally warm, he let out a nervous laugh. "Th-thanks..." he said, completely unsure about what he was supposed to do. "I'm fine now."

Huffing in acknowledgement, Kurohi brought her whisker back and slowly stood. She began to walk away before she stopped and turned back around, this time facing Zuko. For a moment, neither of them moved. Aang's eyes darted back and forth between them, but he was unable to discern anything from either of their expressions.

Kurohi's eyes momentarily flickered to Aang before returning to Zuko. She let out a low growl, baring her teeth slightly.

Zuko scoffed, making Aang jump. "You don't have to tell _me_ that."

Giving a small nod, apparently pleased with his statement, she turned back around and joined Shiroku. He nuzzled her neck as she passed, and then they both took off, flying to a more secluded part of the cavern.

No one spoke until they were out of sight, and even then, it was just a collective sigh.

Finally capable of putting his feelings into words, Aang said, "What just happened?"

Iroh, who looked just as shocked and confused as Aang felt, said, "I'm... I'm not sure. I have never seen Kurohi act that way. At her most behaved, I have only seen her ambivalent towards others."

Aang rubbed his hands over his face, feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. _I just... don't even know what to **make** of all of this..._

"Zuko?" Iroh said, concern lacing his voice.

Aang turned to find Iroh kneeling next to Zuko. The firebender in question had a hand pressed to his temple, eyes staring at the Kurohi had been standing earlier.

Worry seizing his insides, Aang grabbed Zuko's arm and tugged on it. "Zuko? Are you okay?"

Zuko flinched and he closed his eyes with a small shake of the head, as if he had just been broken out of a trance. "I'm fine," he mumbled lowering his hand.

"Tell me what is happening," Iroh said. "Tell me what you are seeing, what you are hearing." Aang frowned, wondering what Iroh was talking about.

"It's _nothing_," Zuko insisted. "My head just feels kinda... full. It's like my mind is trying to bring up a memory but can't seem to find it..."

"Anything else?" Iroh asked. "Anything at all."

A small frown marring his features, Zuko shook his head again. "No... It's okay now. My head's going back to normal." He turned to Aang. "I'm _okay_," he assured quietly.

He seemed to be telling the truth, so Aang nodded and rested his forehead on Zuko's shoulder with a sigh. "Good," was his muffled reply. A moment later, a warm hand was stroking his hair and for a moment he wanted cry at the inordinate amount of relief the action was giving him.

_Oh, pull yourself **together**_, the airbender scolded to himself. _You're not going to be able to help him if you keep breaking down every ten minutes!_

Still, it was late, and Aang could feel the exhaustion pulling on his eyelids. Lifting his head, he looked at Zuko pleadingly and said, "Can we go back to our room?"

Zuko's slight frown was still present and Aang prayed that he wasn't the one causing him any unnecessary worry. "Of course, Aang."

When they stood, Aang noticed that Iroh was also frowning, though his focus was on his nephew. "Are you sure you're alright, nephew?"

"I'm _fine_, Uncle. It was just a headache. I think I just need some sleep..."

Iroh didn't look convinced, but didn't press the issue. After saying goodbye to Hoshi, they left the cavern and returned to their rooms. The general told them that they were allowed to visit the dragons whenever they wished and that he had informed the sentries. Zuko nodded and wished his uncle goodnight and Aang did the same, managing to give the older man a small smile.

Once they were alone, Aang flopped down on the bed face down, face buried in a pillow. He just needed to _calm down_. He needed to ignore all of his tumultuous emotions and try to look at all of this rationally. The only problem was that his body was twitchy, he couldn't get his heart to stop racing, and he couldn't seem to get rid of the constant desire to cry.

_Agni! Haven't you cried enough for one lifetime? What's wrong with you?_

He felt the bed dip and a hand rest on his shoulder. "Hey. What's wrong?"

Shrugging the hand off, Aang curled on his side, facing away from Zuko. "Nothing."

There was silence in the room and Aang could practically feel Zuko's eyes on him. Finally, Zuko sighed and said, "This doesn't have anything to do with... last night, does it?"

_What?_ Aang flipped onto his back and was alarmed to find Zuko with an expression of utter uncertainty, avoiding all eye contact with the airbender. "Last night?" Aang questioned.

Zuko didn't respond for a moment, seemingly content with fiddling with a loose thread in the bedsheets. "I don't..." He snapped his mouth shut. Closing his eyes briefly and shaking his head, he tried again. "I'm usually very good about keeping my problems to myself. And I hardly _ever_ lose control. I'm sorry if I frightened or upset you."

Aang felt sick and a little horrified. Sitting up so quickly his vision temporarily blackened, he quickly shook his head. "I wasn't frightened or upset! Far from it... it actually made me really happy!"

He mentally slapped himself when Zuko gave him an incredulous look. "I mean...! Not that you were upset! No, I _hate_ it when you're upset or hurting, but I was happy that I was able to comfort _you_ for a change! You've done so much for me..." He let out a small laugh. "You have saved my life in almost every way. I was just happy to be able to return the favor a little."

Eyes becoming suspiciously wet, Zuko placed trembling hands on either side of Aang's neck, thumbs resting on jaw. "Aang..." he said, voice cracking. "You know you don't owe me _anything_, right?"

His own eyes starting to burn, and Aang found he couldn't turned away from the golden depths in front of him, no matter how much the pure emotion he saw there made his chest hurt. With a small nod, he said, "I know that. Logically, anyway... But it's not just that. It's... it's so much _more_ than just that."

A deep burning urge suddenly bloomed inside of him, and before he knew it, he was leaning forward and pressing his lips to Zuko's. Zuko made a small noise of surprise, but almost immediately leaned into the kiss, his arms reorienting themselves so they were wrapped around the airbender's waist. Aang pulled back only for a moment and said, "I love you... I love you so much and when you hurt, _I_ hurt. I want to help you be happy."

"Oh, Aang..." Zuko said breathily, "Just being with you makes me happy."

Knowing he was crying, but finding that he didn't care, Aang wrapped his arms around Zuko's neck and sank back into a kiss. Letting his jaw go slightly slack, he let out a small moan of pleasure as Zuko's tongue darted in, twisting with his.

Aang pressed his body hard against Zuko's, Zuko responding by deepening the kiss with an aggressive fervor, both of them desperate and starved after a week of being unable or incapable of showing their affection to each other. _Has it really only been a week...?_

None of their questioned had been answered, and their problems and challenges were far from over. But for now, neither of them could bother to care. These were all things that could be addressed in the morning. In the meantime, Aang pushed these thoughts aside and lost himself in his lovers embrace.

* * *

**Leave a review to let me know what you guys think :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**A couple you guys said you can barely notice my writer's block in my last update. That's because my last update was written before my block :P**

**This chapter was written during my writer's block. It's definitely a 'transition' chapter and not all that interesting. But right after this, more interesting stuff occurs. **

**Enjoy Chapter 25!**

* * *

Sokka blinked. Several times. Probably more than what was necessary for his eyes to adjust. He just had to make sure he was actually seeing what he thought he was seeing. "Those _can't_ be...!"

"_Shhh!_ Keep it down!" Katara said with a hushed whisper. "We don't know how well dragons can hear!"

"Those are _dragons_?" Toph said incredulously. "They're _huge_."

The three of them were currently standing on a ledge, having just exited one of Toph's newly-made tunnels. Feeling that there were huge beasts in the cavern, she led them to an area of the cavern that was a good distance away from the animals.

Sokka had thought that the dragons had all been killed. At least, that was what the rumours said. Evidently, they were wrong.

Toph snapped her fingers. "_That's_ what was going on before! The shaking must have been them opening this place up to let them fly around and feed themselves!"

Sokka got onto his knees and crept to the edge, trying to get a better look at them. "This is so _cool_."

"Okay..." Katara said, "... we figured out what the White Lotus is hiding. Now let's get outta here before we get caught!"

"Relax, Katara," Toph said. "I would feel anyone coming long before they could find us."

"We shouldn't even _be_ here!" Katara hissed. "They didn't tell us about this because they didn't _want_ us to know."

Sokka sat back up and turned around. "You can't tell me you aren't the least bit curious what they plan on _doing_ with these oversized lizards."

"I'm not," she said, though Sokka could tell she was lying. "I trust that General Iroh and the others know what they're doing. Look, we're on shaky ground as it is. I don't want to get kicked out for this! Let's just go back to our rooms and forget we ever saw this."

Great. His sister's gone earthbender-stubborn on them. It's not that he didn't see her point, he just couldn't understand how she could be okay with staying in the dark about something so big. "Fine," Sokka said, more to placate Katara than anything else. "We can go back. But do not expect me to just forget about this.

"Whatever," Katara said. "Let's just get outta here."

As they went back to the tunnel they exited from, Sokka turned and took one last look at the dragons. Was the White Lotus just protecting them? Or were they planning some sort of surprise attack against the Fire Nation? Whatever was going on, there was no doubt in the Water Tribesman's mind that he wanted to be part of it.

When they got back to their room, Toph had barely sealed the tunnel behind them when there was a knock on their door. Katara gave Sokka a glare, as if to say, _If we're in trouble, this is your fault!_ Sokka chose to ignore his sister as he went to get the door. Nyla, the woman who had shown them to their room the previous day, was standing on the other side. "Is something wrong...?" Sokka asked.

Nyla sighed. "I just thought someone should inform you: Jet, the injured young man you brought in... he's dead."

* * *

Things weren't perfect. In fact, they were probably far from it.

And yet, Zuko couldn't help but find himself content. For the most part.

It had been an interesting first few days. There was their introduction to the dragons, of course. But even more than that. Not long after they arrived, they were informed that Jet had passed. The details were fuzzy, but it seemed as though there was some complications during his recovery process. He had contracted an infection had died in his sleep.

Too an easy of a death for the likes of him, in Zuko's opinion. The firebender's only regret was that he wasn't able to finish off the job in person, even though it was _his_ burn what eventually killed him.

Aang, on the other hand, was surprisingly upset about the man's death. According to him, even if someone is a horrible person, their life was still sacred and ending that life was still something to avoid at all costs.

That was an Air Nomad philosophy that Zuko was certain he was never _really_ going to understand.

But after their first few days, they both fell into a daily routine at the White Lotus Headquarters. This was nothing like the routine they had had while they were on the run. _That_ had been mostly just monotonous survival. Now, they were living in probably one of the safest places on earth. With this peace of mind, their routines included _actual_ training.

Zuko spent everyday perfecting his firebending and his swordwork. Now that he had his swords back, he spent half his training everyday with Master Piandao - the man who taught him as a child - and half his training with his uncle.

Aang was also training, but not in the same way. He was already a master in his own element, but that didn't stop him from studying the others. While Zuko was off with Piandao or Iroh, Aang would usually sit on the sidelines of the training grounds and watch. At first he mostly just watched Zuko and Iroh. But as he got less skiddish, he started to stray and watch some of the other benders. Within a couple week's time, he was starting to incorporate other bending forms with his airbending.

And for Aang, it got even better. Using ancient Air Nomad texts, the White Lotus had fashioned him a new glider.

When they first presented it to him, Aang did nothing but stare at it blankly. But after the initial shock, the airbender reached forward and hesitantly took it.

"That's a glider?" Zuko asked. "It just looks like a staff..."

This is when Aang smiled. "Sure, that's what it _looks_ like..." With a flick of his wrist, orange wings popped out of staff. Zuko jumped back in surprise, but Aang was smiling like child who just discovered his bending. Setting the glider on his back, Aang bent his knees and launched himself into the air.

Zuko closed his eyes and put his arms in front of his face as powerful gusts of wind swirled around him. When he opened his eyes again, Aang was in the air, flying in circles and loop de loops, and _laughing_. Zuko's face broke out into a huge grin. The last time he saw Aang his joyously happy was when they first exited the tunnel, the morning after their escape. He knew that it had literally been years since Aang was able to fly like this and he couldn't imagine how good it felt for him to - quite literally - spread his wings.

With a quick spiral, Aang landed back next to them. He held out a hand and said, "Come with me, Zuko!"

The firebender looked at him incredulously. "Are you kidding? There's no _way_ you'll be able to support that kind of weight!"

Aang's grin became slightly devious as he launched himself forward and wrapped an arm around Zuko's waist. "Oh yeah? Just watch."

Before Zuko could respond, he felt himself being suddenly pulled upwards, eliciting an unmanly yelp from him. When he realized that the others and the ground were rapidly shrinking below him, he wrapped his arms around Aang and held on for dear life.

"Relax!" Aang said over the wind blowing past them. "Even if I drop you, you'll be easy to catch!"

Not exactly comforted by the statement, but always trusting Aang implicitly, Zuko loosened his grip a little, but didn't dare let go. He looked downward, the blowing air too harsh on his eyes. As they flew in circles above the training grounds, laughter started to bubble out of him, a near-indescribable sense of exhilaration coming in to replace the initial sense of fear.

And so, flying also became part of Aang's normal routine. Aang admitted to being a little rusty on his flying (though Zuko couldn't tell) so he spent a great deal of his time practicing flying with his new glider.

Aside from training, they also had dinner with his uncle nearly everyday. Usually, Iroh and Aang would play Pai Sho afterwards. As Zuko expected, Aang was actually a challenge for Iroh, for which his uncle was extremely thrilled about. Zuko, on the other hand, was more than content to just sit on the sidelines and watch.

Of course, his favorite part of their new routine, by far, was at night. Alone in their room, before they fell asleep, Zuko and Aang were all over each other, reacquainting themselves to each other's bodies and exploring like they never had before.

Though they still didn't go much further than kissing. Zuko was waiting for Aang to make the first move. However, Aang seemed perfectly content with just making out. Which was fine for Zuko, but he had to admit that he was itching to do so much more.

This was their life now. It was great in a lot of regards, but incomplete in others.

Namely, there was a lack of dragons.

Since first seeing them, Aang had downright refused to go back. Zuko was honestly baffled by this, as it had seemed as though Aang was just as enthralled by the creatures as he had been. Of course, Aang did have a panic attack at the prospect of being _partnered_ with one, so maybe he wasn't so eager about the dragons. Zuko, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to just be in that cavern again. He didn't have to talk to any of them. He would have been content to just watch them be.

Although, if Zuko was being completely honest with himself, it wasn't just the dragons in general he wanted to see. He wanted to see Kurohi again.

It was strange. Before, after she had come up to check on Aang, she had looked at him. When she had looked at him, Zuko felt as though he had been temporarily pulled from his body. An array of foreign emotions swept over him, but most dominant was the desire to protect. It was almost as if she was telling him to look after Aang. To which Zuko scoffed; of _course_ he was to look after Aang. Zuko was going to make sure that nothing bad happened to him _ever_ again.

When she walked away, the out-of-body feeling faded, and he had been too preoccupied by Aang's mood to really think about what had occurred between them. However, in the following days, Zuko found himself thinking about the encounter more and more. He was afraid to bring it up with anyone, even his uncle or Aang, but the more he stewed on it, the more he was convinced that something unique occurred between him and Kurohi. What happened hadn't just been normal dragon to human behavior. In some crazy way, Zuko was certain that they had bonded. That he was _supposed_ to be Kurohi's companion.

Which made sense, especially if his uncle's theory about Aang and Shiroku was correct. Kurohi would do anything to protect Shiroku, in the same way that Zuko would do anything to protect Aang. If Aang was destined to be Shiroku's companion, then wouldn't follow that he was destined to be Kurohi's?

Zuko was nearly desperate to go back to the cavern and see if his theory was correct. He wanted to see Kurohi again, see if a connection was made between them again. But every time he brought it up with Aang, the airbender shot it down, not even willing to _consider_ the idea of going back to visit the dragons. At this point, he couldn't figure out if Aang was fearful of the possibility of being paired with Shiroku or if he had a problem with the dragons in general. And since he was completely unwilling to talk about it, Zuko had no way of figuring out exactly what was wrong.

He was trying to wait it out, hoping Aang would come along on his own. But after nearly four weeks of Aang not even budging on the issue, Zuko was seriously considering taking matters into his own hands.

He just had to figure out a way to do so without Aang finding out.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Song asked as she took Katara's heart rate.

"Much better," Katara replied. "You were right; the first few days were absolutely _miserable_."

"Hmm... Your heart rate's a little elevated, but nothing to be worried about." Song stepped back and looked Katara over. "You're also a little pale. How's your head? Any dizziness?"

"A little," Katara said. "I've been eating red meat like you told me to."

"Good. How's the bleeding?"

"It's lightened up in the last twenty-four hours. Hasn't completely stopped though."

Song nodded. "You should continue to take it easy for the next couple of days. If the bleeding hasn't completely stopped two days from now, I want you to come see me again. Okay?"

Katara nodded. "Will do."

* * *

She couldn't take it anymore. The old man wasn't going to bite her head off if she brought up the dragons. It's not like he should be _surprised_ that she figured out something fishy was going on with their weekly 'earthquakes'. And she wanted answers. At this point, the curiosity was killing her.

It was late evening, long enough after dinnertime that Toph was reasonably sure that General Iroh would be alone. While Katara was too chicken to ask (and Sokka too scared of his sister to do the same), Toph was tired of pretending like she was ignorant of the dragons' existence.

As she approached the Dragon of the West's quarters, she felt that he was alone in his room. She also saw some sentries between herself and her destination. She rolled her eyes at this annoyance. With a quick slide of her foot, the ground below them slid to the side, knocking them head first into the wall. _That should keep them quiet for a while._

Marching right up to the old man's door, she banged on it as hard as she could with her fist. "I know you're awake! I need to talk to you about something!"

It was barely a moment later that the door opened. "Ah, good evening, my old friend. Come in. Have some tea."

Toph readily accepted the invitation, and as she entered the room, she realized that he already had a pot of tea out on the table. _How much tea does this guy drink?_

Iroh closed the door and sat down next to her, pouring out the tea. "How has your stay at the White Lotus Headquarters been so far?"

"It's been nice," Toph replied. "In fact, very informative. King Bumi's taught me all sorts of new ways to kick butt. Learning exactly _who_ you and Sparky are has been interesting. Never knew I was traveling with royalty all those years ago. Oh, and of course, there are all those gigantic lizards you're hiding."

Iroh took a sip of his tea. "Mmm... very informative, indeed."

The fact that he seemed completely unfazed by her casual mention of the dragons miffed the earthbender more than it probably should have. "So... what? You have nothing to say on the matter?"

"Which matter are you referring to, my young master earthbender?"

"Don't play dumb with me. You know full well I would see right through that 'earthquake' crap."

The general sighed. "Yes, I assumed you would. And I suppose an explanation is in order?"

"You're darned right, it is!"

Iroh placed his tea cup down. "Who else among your friends know?"

Toph didn't immediately answer, briefly debating whether it would get them in trouble. But she knew that old man wasn't like that, and that he was probably asking for pure damage control's sake. "Sokka and Katara."

"I see." He grabbed his teapot and stood. "Well then, I better go make some more tea."

Toph frowned. "What?"

She felt Iroh point towards the door. "Go get your friends and I'll tell you what you need to know."

"_Only_ what we need to know?"

"Trust me, young Toph. What you _need_ to know will be more than enough information to satisfy you and your friends."

* * *

Zuko peered into the darkness, mind going a thousand miles an hour. He couldn't see anything with his eyes, but with his hearing and his sense of heat, he could clearly picture the room around him. Small rodents scurried across the bedroom floor, their tiny squeaks probably alerting their compatriots of the leftover food from his and Aang's dinner. Outside, the firebender could hear the occasional passerby. It was amazing how much you could tell of a person just by the sound of their walking. The weight of their steps, the tempo...

And yet nothing was more evident to Zuko than the airbender sleeping next to him. His even, soft breathing, the heat of his body just inches from his. Knowing it was going to be impossible to sleep, Zuko turned over and wrapped an arm around Aang's shoulders. "Aang... Aang, are you awake?"

The airbender's even breathes went on undisturbed, much to the firebender's relief. Rubbing a hand up and down Aang's arm, Zuko whispered, "I'll be back soon. There just something I need to do."

Encouraged by the fact that Aang didn't even stir, Zuko slowly extracted himself from the bed. Quickly as he could, he threw on some clothes and left the room. Seeing no one down either end of the hallway, he started walking towards the cavern.

After nearly a month, he was going visit the dragons.

* * *

**Leave a review to let me know what you guys think :)**


	26. Chapter 26

**This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.**

**Okay, so now actual plot occurs :P**

**TRIGGER WARNING: basically this whole first part could be triggering for some individuals. If you want to skip it, it's basically Aang having a really, really bad nightmare.**

**Enjoy Chapter 26!**

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_Several layers of cloth were tied against his face, completely obliterating his sight. Aang was pretty sure he was laying flat on his back, but the lack of sensory information was disorienting and nearly nauseating. The familiar metal gag was in place, stretching his mouth uncomfortably wide. His wrists chained down on either side of him, chafing ropes wrapped tightly around his elbows and pinning his arms to a cold metal surface. His legs were spread and his knees bent, ankles chained so he couldn't move his feet. Knowing he must look obscene, he tried closing his legs, but he found his thighs were tied tightly to metal poles._

_The sound of a door being opened could be heard, a cool breeze blowing over his body and confirming the fact that he was completely naked._

_He had no idea what was going on. If his master was selling him again tonight, his buyer must be very specific in his tastes. Aang had never in his life been so specifically arranged beforehand, not even for the richer nobles. It filled him with a deep sense of dread._

_He sucked in a quick gasp through his nose as several pinpricks suddenly appeared on the side of his stomach. They weren't breaking his skin, they just rested there for a moment. It took him a moment to recognize the feel of very well sharpened Fire Nation nails._

_So it was a woman. Whoever this new client was..._

_The nails lightly dragged across his stomach, tracing out fine lines. They bumped over his more prominent scars, making his breathing hitch, but otherwise made their journey uninterrupted._

_This was... odd. And yet, there was a heavy sense of danger in the air. As if his instincts were telling him this woman was far more sinister than any person he had encountered before. His breathing unconsciously quickened and his body trembled._

_"Oh... don't be like that. You should be flattered. I have chosen **you** to be my toy. There are throngs of Fire Nation citizens who would kill to be where you are now."_

_Aang jerked at the sudden break in silence. The woman's words confused him, and this was only compounded as she ran her fingernails up and down his inner thighs._

_"Now let's take a look at those eyes, shall we...?" The cloth over his eyes was tugged and a moment later, it was ripped off altogether. The room was dimly lit, but Aang still had to blink a couple times for his eyes to adjust. When they did, he was able to see a woman standing over him, a coy smile on her face._

_Aang's breath caught in his throat as his memories from earlier that day surfaced. She had been there after the performance. She had said... she had said that she was going to be his new master._

_"Ah, I see you remember me," she said. "Well, allow me to introduce myself again: I am Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. But you may only refer to me as 'master' or 'mistress': whichever may strike your fancy. That is... when you're pretty little mouth isn't otherwise occupied. Do you understand?" Aang quickly nodded. "Good." She started to walk in a circle around him. "You will be performing all manner of services for me, from performing your little airbending tricks to seeing to the sexual gratification of myself and others. As such, I will expect nothing less than perfection from you."_

_Without warning, Azula wrapped her hand around his penis, making him jerk against his restraints. "Oh... sensitive, aren't you?" She slowly started to pump him, Aang's breathing becoming quicker and more shallow as the blood flowed to his groin. After he achieved a full erection, Azula bent down and licked his tip, eliciting a desperate whimper from the airbender._

_"You're the last of your kind..." she said breathily, increasing her pace and teasing him with the tip of her tongue. "The world's very last airbender is going to by my personal toy until he dies of ripe old age. It seems like a fitting end for your people, don't you think?"_

_With a low moan, tears of shame flowing down the sides of his face, Aang unwillingly came to a climax. Azula removed her mouth and positioned his penis so he ejaculated on his own face. She let out a low laugh as she stared at his come covered face with a near childlike wonder. "I am **so** looking forward to our future years together."_

_As he felt his come drip down his face, Aang closed his eyes and silently begged with all of his heart for the universe to put an end to this nightmare_

When he opened his eyes again, all he could see was darkness. His breathing quickened, thinking that Azula had put his blindfold back on. But when his hands flung to his face, he not only realized that there was nothing there, but also that he could move freely. _A nightmare... was it just a nightmare...?_

But he could still hear her. Her laughing, her taunting... Even worse than that, he could _feel_ her. Feel the come sticking to his face. Feel her sharp fingernails ghosting over his skin, making him shiver.

_"Oh how I love to make my toys squirm! Now... let's take a closer look at these goods, shall we?"_

Aang let out a cry as he felt her shove her fingers up his rectum. He buried his face into the bed, muffling his cries as he felt her examine him in detail.

_"Hmm... obviously a bit **used**, but that was to be expected. No matter; now you're all **mine**."_

Aang shook his head, sobbing on the edge of hysterics. "Zuko..." he whimpered. "Zuko, please...!"

Zuko didn't come. When Aang looked up from the bed, he could still only see darkness. He knew he was at the White Lotus Headquarters, he _knew_ he was in the bedroom with Zuko.

But Zuko wasn't here.

He was alone.

Alone with _her_.

With impossible vividity, Aang could feel _everything_ that Azula was doing to him. He was consciously in the present but could still feel the unwanted touches and tortuous words being branded into his mind. Buckling and writhing on the bed, he could feel the restraints holding him down as Azula played and teased him without any reprieve. He clawed at his wrists, trying desperately to free himself.

He felt her slap him across the face, and his body jerked violently. Tipping over the edge of the bed, Aang found himself on the ground, the blankets tangled around him tightly. Breathing quickening in panic, he tugged against the fabric. But with Azula continuing to torture him, he found he was completely incapable of getting his body to obey his mind. Resigning himself to being stuck in this new hell, Aang stopped struggling. The only signs of life were his body's pained twitching and the silent tears that streamed onto the floor.

"_Please_..." he whimpered. "Somebody please help me..."

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Iroh sipped his tea calmly, gauging the reactions of the young trio. In the last few weeks, he had been able to properly observe them in their day-to-day life. He was convinced that they had the hearts and maturity necessary to be trusted with more or less complete knowledge of the dragons.

The Water Tribesman, Sokka, was the analytical one. He was staring at the table, fingers rubbing his chin as he thought over the information given to him. No doubt he was trying to extrapolate more information from what was given to him while also trying to figure out how to include himself in whatever the White Lotus had planned.

As expected, Toph took what he had to say in stride. She didn't seem to have any opinions one way or another. It was simply information to be stored and utilized later at relevant and opportune moments.

Katara, probably the most protective of the three, was observing the general with a cautious eye. While the information itself was definitely fascinating to her, she was obviously more concerned with Iroh even though he assured them they were not in any trouble.

"So what exactly is the _plan_?" Sokka asked. "Just storm the Fire Nation capital once all the dragons have been paired?"

"As a preliminary? Yes." Iroh set his cup down. "I realize it's not much of a plan, but it is difficult to formalize a good strategy without fully understanding how the dragons will behave in battle. You can't take the pot without knowing how to properly use your pieces."

"You can't make a good judgement on how Kurohi and Shiroku will be in battle?" Katara questioned. "Can their behavior change that drastically with a companion?"

Iroh smiled, thinking of Jeong Jeong's Kazuko. "You'd be surprised. Sometimes a companion a change a feral beast into a... _semi_-respectable creature."

Sokka raised an eyebrow in question, but didn't respond to Iroh's oddly specific statement. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

The old general leaned back with a sigh. "I don't believe so. Aang and my nephew have not been back to see the dragons since they were first introduced. It is my understanding that Aang has been... _reluctant_ to explore the possibility of his destiny being intertwined with Shiroku's."

The earthbender sighed. "I don't suppose it would be possible to arrange an accidental meeting between the two and _force_ them to explore the possibility?"

Iroh shook his head. He knew that Aang's situation was a delicate one. The last thing he wanted to do was to make Aang uncomfortable or possibly make him go backwards in his emotional recovery.

Toph suddenly jumped, her eyes widening in surprising, making Iroh frown. "What is it, Toph?"

She frowned, pressing her hand to the ground. "It felt like someone in the room next to us just fell..." Iroh's heart sank as she stood and faced the direction of Zuko and Aang's room. "I think it's Aang... it feels like he's in trouble!" Katara and Sokka also stood and the three of them began to run out in order to help the airbender.

"No. Stay here," Iroh said, purposefully using his commanding voice and stopping the trio in their tracks. "If Aang is distressed, I'm sure my nephew will take care of it."

But Toph shook her head vehemently. "Zuko's not there. Aang's _alone_."

Iroh's eyes widened. _What?_ He quickly stood and walked towards the door. "I want the three of you to go back to your rooms."

"But if Aang's in trouble...!" Katara started to say.

_If Zuko is not there, there is very little you three can do to help._ Knowing this was going to need a delicate hand, Iroh shook his head. "I will take care of this. Go back to your rooms. Will speak with the three of you later."

He could tell that Katara wanted to argue, but Toph grabbed her elbow and pulled her away. Silently thanking the earthbender, Iroh hurried to the next room, his heart pounding in his ears. Keeping his panic hidden away, he gently knocked on the door. "Aang...? Are you alright?"

There was no response. And considering what Toph felt just moments earlier, it was a fair bet to say that silence was not a good sign.

"I'm coming in," he announced. Slowly opening the door, he quickly slipped in and shut the door behind him, lighting one of the candles in the corner with a flick of his finger.

As Toph had described, Iroh found Aang on the ground next to the bed, tightly wrapped in blankets and trembling violently. He quickly knelt by the airbender's side and realized that Aang had his face pressed to the ground, eyes closed tightly in pain.

Hoping he wasn't making a huge mistake, Iroh gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Aang's eyes sprang open and his head shot up. His face was tear-stained and his eyes bloodshot, but thankfully, he seemed to be relatively lucid. His breathing stuttered as he tried to speak but Iroh quickly hushed him. "It's alright, you don't need to say anything."

Aang flinched and his eyes widened. He quickly shook his head and attempted again to speak. "I-I... c-can't h-h-hear... y-you..."

His worry being upped a notch, Iroh tried to stay visibly calm. Panicking wouldn't do the boy any good at this point. He nodded in understanding. "Alright then." He rubbed his hand against his shoulder. "You appear to be stuck. Allow me help you out."

He started to pull the blankets away from Aang and could tell the airbender was trying his best to help, but he was shaking so badly that any movements he made were wildly ineffective. When he was finally free, Aang scrambled up so he was sitting against the wall and curled in on himself. "Z-Zuk-ko...?"

Iroh shook his head. "I don't know where he is." Although he had a hunch.

From what appeared to be pure reflex, Aang gripped Iroh's forearm like a lifeline. Unsurprised by the airbender's strength, Iroh placed his free hand over Aang's. "It's going to be okay... This is just a passing memory. It will end and it will fade."

A couple fresh tears fell down Aang's face as he bit his lip and nodded. Iroh smiled, glad that Aang could apparently hear him again. "If you wish to speak about it, I am here to listen. However, I won't make you do anything you're not comfortable with."

Still trembling, Aang let out a self-deprecating laugh. "I-I'm fine, Uncle... A-Azula just w-won't leave me a-alone..."

The general's eyes narrowed at the mention of his niece. Zuko had given him a very brief and very vague account of what Azula had done to Aang, solidifying Iroh's certainty of her madness. "Azula is not here. You're safe with the White Lotus. And with Zuko and myself."

Aang's eyes narrowed in anger. "I know th-that!" With a frustrated sigh, he closed his eyes and pressed his clenched fist to his forehead. "I know that..."

While anger was not the healthiest emotion to evoke, Iroh took it as a sign that Aang was breaking out of the flashback he had been stuck in. They both sat in silence for several minutes, the airbender's shaking slowly subsiding as he very deliberately forced himself to breathe evenly and slowly. His grip on Iroh's arm never faltered or lessened, and the general knew that there would bruises. However, Iroh didn't dare try and dislodge him until he was certain that Aang was emotionally stable enough to not take it the wrong way.

Eventually, Aang released Iroh's arm and curled his arms around himself. He was visibly more relaxed and whatever nightmare he had been trapped in had passed. Eyes downcast, he said quietly. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that."

"It's perfectly alright. I know that you usually have my nephew to help you through these episodes, and since he appears to have gone missing..."

Aang's head snapped up at that. His eyes quickly scanned the room around him. He quickly tried to stand, even as he started to shake again.

"It's alright," Iroh said, placing his hands on the young man's shoulders and firmly putting him back into a seated position. "I'm fairly certain of his whereabouts and am sure he's fine." Aang visibly relaxed, but Iroh could still feel fine tremors running through him. "Stay here. I'll be back momentarily. I'm going to speak with someone about finding him."

When Aang nodded, the general quickly stood and left the room. Finding the closest sentry, he ordered them to find Zuko and bring him back to his room. "Also, tell Master Jeong Jeong to check the firebenders' quarters. I suspect that's where we'll find him." The sentry nodded and bowed before going off to carry out his orders.

When Iroh returned to the room, Aang was just where he left him, staring up at him anxiously. "Did they find him?"

Iroh shook his head with a small smile. "It will take longer than that to locate him. This is a very large underground network." He sat down next to the airbender, with his back against the wall. "In the meantime... There are a few things I wish to speak to you about."

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Getting into the dragons' cavern was easy. Zuko remembered how to get there and the sentries let him in without any grief.

Once he was inside, however, he realized that he had no idea what he was doing. Or what he even _wanted_ to do.

From where he was standing he could only see a couple dragons, neither of which he could immediately identify. Still, he couldn't help smiling as he stood there and stared at them. One of them was curled on a ledge, asleep. The other was digging into a stalagmite, probably sharpening its claws.

_Kurohi._

Shaking himself out of his trance, he made his way down to the center of the cavern, figuring it was good place to start his search for the black dragon. It took him awhile, but once he was down there, he heard a loud rumble from above. Looking up, he nearly fell on his backside as he watched Kurohi and Shiroku flying around each other in synchronized pattern. _It's like they're dancing..._ Zuko thought to himself.

Finally, they both descended, spiraling around each other. Kurohi landed right in front of Zuko while Shiroku landed off to the side, seemingly wary of the firebender. Once the air settled, Zuko looked up at the her. She stared straight back with her golden eyes, bright with sharp contrast against her inky black scales.

Zuko's breathing quickened as the same sensation of another presence in his mind came back. "That's you, isn't it? This... _thing_ in my head."

Kurohi cocked her head to the side and Zuko could feel a bit of confusion rush into his head. He stepped toward her, encouraged when Kurohi lowered her head so that it was level with him. He extended an arm, palm facing forward. "I'm just letting you know... I have no idea what I'm doing."

A series of staccato rumbles came from Kurohi's throat, and Zuko smiled when he realized that she was chuckling. She extended her whisker and wrapped it around his hand. It suddenly became extremely hot, almost to the point of pain. Then, it felt as though Zuko's head was being split open, making him gasp in surprise. A stream of thoughts and emotion came crashing into his mind, as though a thousand voices were shouting at him. Eyes watering, he pressed his free hand against his temple as pain pounding through his head in protest. As the pain subsided and the cacophony died down, a single thought resonated through his mind.

_Hello, little scarred one. Can you hear me?_

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